Awami League’s vision for Bangladesh-India relations- Unveiling foreign policy and election agenda

Awami League’s vision for Bangladesh-India relations: Unveiling foreign policy and election agenda

Ahead of the upcoming Parliamentary elections in neighbouring Bangladesh, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has pledged continued cooperation and friendly relations with India.

As she unveiled the manifesto of the ruling Awami League party on Wednesday, she said if her party wins elections cooperation with India will continue.

Foreign Policy

Stressing the foreign policy priorities of her party, Awami League party manifesto also states: “cooperation with neighbouring countries will continue in various areas, including cross-border communication, transit, energy partnership, and equitable water sharing”.

Adding: “Bangladesh is firmly determined to prevent the presence of militants, international terrorists, and separatist groups on its territory.”

And, “The Awami League government will play an important role in forming the South Asia Task Force to combat terrorism and militancy to root it out from the entire region.”

Relations with neighbouring countries

The election manifesto has also proposed expanding collaborations with countries including India, Bhutan, and Nepal beyond security and trade and to also add joint management of water and energy cooperation.

Also, by 2041, the agenda talks about transforming the country into a technologically advanced “smart” nation, focusing on 11 key areas.

Focusing on economic growth and employment generation, in her presentation of the manifesto, the Bangladesh leader has highlighted job creation as a top priority and underlined the party’s commitment to comprehensive development.

In the 98 pages manifesto the focus is on strengthening the financial sector, including banks, boosting agriculture and industries, controlling essential commodity prices, and advancing technology.

About the Elections

There are around 1,896 candidates from 27 political parties. Also, there are several independent candidates who are contesting for around 300 seats.

The Awami League’s 14-party grand alliance is fighting for 263 seats. The party has reached a seat-sharing consensus with once its opponent — Jatiya Party and has been allocated 26 seats.

Based on the information in the public domain, the Supreme Court of Bangladesh on Wednesday (Dec 27) gave clearance for the Election Commission to go ahead with the 12thParliamentary Elections on January 7, 2024.