Senior correspondent, Dhaka:
The Bangladesh government is reviewing 101 memorandums of understanding (MoUs) and agreements signed with India during the previous Awami League government, signaling a broader effort to reassess bilateral arrangements through the lens of national interest.
Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni said the review is underway and its findings will be made public soon. Speaking after the third session of the 13th parliament, he stressed that Bangladesh wants to maintain friendly relations with India while ensuring that national interests remain the priority.
The review could become significant if it leads to changes in arrangements relating to trade, transport, ports and infrastructure. Moni specifically referred to agreements concerning Chittagong Port, alleging that some provisions could give preferential treatment to vessels of a friendly country over Bangladeshi vessels during unloading.
He also cited a road constructed with an Indian loan, saying Bangladesh is required to repay the loan with interest despite restrictions on the use of the road by Bangladeshi vehicles. His comments suggest that the government is examining not only the number of bilateral agreements but also their practical economic and strategic consequences.
The approach reflects a potentially more transactional phase in Bangladesh-India relations, in which existing cooperation may be retained where mutually beneficial but subjected to closer scrutiny where Dhaka sees an imbalance.
The government’s review therefore does not necessarily indicate a retreat from engagement with India. Rather, it points towards an attempt to redefine bilateral cooperation around reciprocity, economic benefit, and strategic autonomy.
The chief whip also said the government had scrapped indemnity arrangements linked to quick rental power plants, while acknowledging that new power projects require years to develop.
