India’s gains:
- Gets access to Chittagong and other Bangladeshi ports for movement of its goods and other materials
- A clear determination from Dhaka that Bangladesh will not allow “anti-Indian forces” to operate from its soil
- Project its friendship with Bangladesh to show that India can be generous to those who take care of its interests
- Puts in place a framework for close cooperation in all spheres that will not be subject to the vagaries of political change in Dhaka
Bangladesh’s gains:
- The first country ever to receive a billion-dollar line of credit from India for infrastructure development
- An assured supply of 250 MW of power from India
- Work on the Tipaikukh dam project to be carried out in a way that it doesn’t harm Bangladesh’s interest
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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh isn’t in the habit...
