THOUGH no expected result was achieved in the recently concluded Nepal Saarc Summit, it sprouted an enormous anxiety over the attainment of regional supremacy, especially who would own the key to the future political supremacy of South Asia, as it has pushed the two rival powers China and India into another battle of hostility. Foreign media on Saturday reported that the South Asian Summit witnessed just a single deal on energy cooperation, but there was a pledge of regional investment by India only to counter China’s growing economic influence in this region. India being the big nation of the sub-continent wants to retain its supremacy over the Saarc nations, but the strong footing of China with a huge investment in this region has prompted India to consider the development of its neighbours aiming to bring them under her own influence.
However, any investment with the mutual interest of all the stakeholders, no doubt, deserves a warm welcome, but the investment promised by this largest South Asian nation naturally smells as an act of ‘China phobia’ raising the question of ‘development over diplomatic decorum’. ‘Modi-magic’ is now trying to spell out its reign primarily around its neighbours, and Saarc was chosen as the platform to ground the motto. A Delhi intellectual of international affairs considered the move as ‘Indians want to keep South Asia as their exclusive sphere of influence’. Experts attire it as ‘colonial guise’ under the cover of economic influence.
The cross-border trade among the eight Saarc nations still accounts for less than five percent of total commerce in the region. Eight countries in a broader sense have no meaningful bilateral or multilateral mutual trade agreement. For the sake of the very existence of Saarc, regional connectivity must not be an interest for a particular nation to attain parity with China by making development an act of charity to other nations. Moreover, Saarc had fallen short of expectations due to arch-rivalry between India and Pakistan. Pakistan (Sri Lanka also) reportedly supports full membership for China, who currently enjoys observer status in the regional grouping but it was opposed by India. Nepal like Bangladesh also has benefited hugely from China’s economic cooperation over the last decade, though she (Nepal) keeps a warm economic tie with India as well.
The geographical and geo-economic necessity of both India and China should not be a dilemma for Bangladesh. The country must consider its national interest first. As the country is not land locked like Afghanistan, Nepal and Bhutan and it owns a strategic part in the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh can bargain for its interests without giving in to other’s influence. An effectively meaningful and mutually gainful trade relationship should be our priority. We should not be over friendly to anyone at the cost of other. Rather, we should strike a balance keeping our national interest at the top of all. But a government that cannot depend on its own people’s support and strength has to be in a different position.
