Bangladesh-Myanmar Relations, 1972-2010

Abstract

This study is an attempt to examine and analyze from multidimensional aspects of Bangladesh – Myanmar relations including the historical background of the relations. Bangladesh and Myanmar are two neighboring countries located in the two geographically proximate regions of South and South-East Asia. Bangladesh forms the natural bridge between South and South-East Asia. Because of its location, historically Bangladesh was the intermediary in trade and commerce between South-Asian Sub-continent and the South-East Asian countries. Moreover, these two countries share a good deal of history, geography, culture, politics, economy, trade and investment, tourism, bilateralism, and internationalism of both colonial and post-colonial perspectives. The formal relationship between the independent Bangladesh and Myanmar was established when Myanmar recognized Bangladesh internationally as a sovereign country on 13th January 1972 (6th country to recognize Bangladesh) and Bangladesh remembers this friendly gesture of Myanmar. Since then, both countries try to improve their relations in different ways. The concept of national security and threat as perceived in both the countries from internal and external dimensions has been more or less identical which has bound them to adopt identical measures and postures towards the major issues in regional and international levels. As a result, dignitaries of both Bangladesh and Myanmar paid mutual visits on many occasions which have further bolstered the fraternity and friendship between the two countries and have concluded a series of agreements which have covered the areas of the demarcation of a fixed both land and maritime boundary, air transport agreement, Rohingya refugee issue, border trade agreements and co-operation, export and import services and the trading corporation, cultural co-operation, shipping and airways services, direct road link, agriculture and allied sectors, establishment of banking business, people to people contract and so on. In spite of having these treaties between the two countries, at this moment, they are facing numerous problems due to the existence of some unresolved but resolvable issues like Rohingya refugee issue, problem of the exploration for oil and gas in the Bay of Bengal, drug trafficking, land mind issue, border tension, cross-border terrorism, maritime boundary demarcation, although the ongoing conflict about demarcation of maritime boundary has been resolved through a verdict of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in the year of 2012. On the other hand, it is expected that the border of Bangladesh with Myanmar can provide certain strategic advantages to Bangladesh if it is possible to formulate friendly relationship with Myanmar. It is well known that Myanmar has enormous available natural resources of timber, agricultural surplus, sea and sweet water fish, cotton, mineral products like copper, gold, silver, tin and coal, precious stones, oil and gas. If Bangladesh can originate an intimate relation with Myanmar then she can take sufficient tactical advantage for her entire economic development from the huge natural resources of Myanmar and side by side from the Asian highway project. Through the Asian highway project Bangladesh can also communicate with China and other developed countries in South-east Asia and the rest of the world which can help Bangladesh to fabricate her entire economic development. In the international agenda, both the countries have been working in harmony in different regional and international organizations namely UN, NAM, ASEAN, SAARC, BCIM, ACU, ARF, BIMSTEC etc, and share their common view and stand on a major regional and international issue for the promotion of regional and international peace and security. With the enhancement of cooperation in the areas of trade and investment, manpower issue, tourism, education and culture, the relationship between Bangladesh and Myanmar would grow stronger in near future. The last but not the least common membership of both the countries in such organizations as the UNO, NAM and other regional and international organizations has created a kind of affinity and solidarity between the two countries which persuade them to harmonize the strategies and resources in diplomatic practices. Through such way, both of them enable to contribute to the cause of peace and development both at regional and global levels.