NEW DELHI: Bangladesh army chief has called for a relationship with India “based on fairness” as he pointed out that the two countries were mutually depended on each other.
Addressing the ongoing discussions over “unresolved issues” such as water rights and border concerns among others, general Waker-Uz-Zaman said that the relationship should be rooted in fairness, adding that every country seeks to gain benefits from its neighbors.
“This is a give-and-take relationship. This must be based on fairness. Any country will want to get benefits from the other. There is nothing wrong in that,” he said in an exclusive interview to Prothom Alo.
He added that India had “a lot of interests in Bangladesh’s stability” as he went on to highlight how the two countries had vested interests in each other.
“India is an important neighbour. We are dependent on India in many ways. And India is getting facilities from us too. A large number of their people are working in Bangladesh, formally and informally. Many people go for medical treatment to India from here. We buy a lot of goods from them. So India has a lot of interests in Bangladesh’s stability,” he said.
However, he added, that “people in no way should feel India is dominating over us, which goes against our interests. People should not feel this in any way.”
‘Let relations be on equal footing’
In response to questions regarding Bangladesh’s cooperation in ensuring security in India’s northeast region, general Waker said that “we will not do anything with our neighbour that goes against their strategic interests.”
“At the same time, we will expect that our neighbour does nothing that is contrary to our interests,” he added.
The general also highlighted key areas where balanced cooperation is crucial, including the Chittagong Hill Tracts and the stability along the Myanmar border.
“Unrest will not be created in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The stability along the Myanmar border will not be disrupted either. They will not kill our people along the borders. We will get our fair share of water. There is no problem with this. Let the relations be on equal footing,” he said.
The interview comes amidst Bangladesh’s request to India to extradite former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. India has refused to comment on the matter.
