Jayanta Ghosal: When a plane of ‘Air India’ landed at Hazrat Shah Jalal International Airport in Dhaka, it was not just landing of an aeroplane, but it heralded a new era of vaccine diplomacy. The plane carried 20 lakh doses of corona vaccine that India had earlier committed for supplying to Bangladesh. India has fulfilled its promise. In the coming days too, India has expressed its intention to send more vaccine to Bangladesh. Following arrival of vaccine in Bangladesh, Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar stated that his country gives the highest importance to Indo-Bangladesh relations. This has been evident by the supply of vaccine. At this moment, a new era of Indo-Bangladesh ties has begun.

The foundation of the relationship is vaccine friendship. This friendship is a top priority to India. The reason is that India follows the ‘Neighbour First’ policy. In our foreign policy, there was a culture of giving least priority to neighbours. In our foreign policy, there was a dependence on Europe and the United States (US). Now, we have given the first priority to our neighbours. Again, Bangladesh bears a great significance in this regard. In the past, I have written about it. I am stating this time and again. This is about the geo-strategic location of Bangladesh that has an importance. There is an element of amity in diplomacy. It is not only the political culture of India but also that of the entire world. Emotion is involved there. In political field too, emotion works which is termed as political emotion. Centring the political emotion, scores of researchers are engaged in its analysis. Alongside the emotion, there has been a reasonable pragmatic direction.

It is worth-remembering that India has played an important role in producing the vaccine. It will not be proper to look at it from the point of petty politics or party politics. It would be improper to look at it through the prism of BJP-Congress political polarisation. By giving importance to the prime minister’s intention of vaccine production, due importance is given to the Indian scientists. Now, India is producing 60 per cent of the global output of vaccine. It is not a trifling matter.
India is sending the vaccine not only to its neighbours but also to some other states as per their requirement. As Pakistan and Iran did not want the vaccine, India refrained from sending the same to the two states. It is being presumed that both Pakistan and Iran are eager to get vaccine from China. But, in vaccine diplomacy, there is a background of emotion with Bangladesh. No doubt, it is true, but by sending vaccine to other countries, India is tackling the vaccine diplomacy of China. The China-Pakistan axis creates a complex and tough situation from security point of view. It is still not clear that after the exit of Donald Trump what will be the foreign policy of the US towards India and China. Certainly, it will maintain a balanced policy. Like Trump, it is presumed that personally Biden will certainly not be that much anti-Pakistani. It is even presumed that financial assistance as well as vaccine assistance to Pakistan might be restored under Biden’s leadership. With China, Biden might not resort to the path of conflict, but he might follow the path of dialogue. It is also predicted that Biden would follow the path of Obama that he started by visiting China.

In such a changing global political scenario, it is beyond doubt that India needs Bangladesh much. First of all, one lakh dose of Indian vaccine was sent to the Maldives. It was followed by Bhutan where one and a half lakh dose of Indian vaccine was sent. Next it was sent to Bangladesh and Nepal. But the volume that was sent to Bangladesh was much more than that of other neighbours. The Serum Institute of India is producing the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine. And that is being sent to various countries.

The future of the Indo-Bangladesh vaccine amity is now much brighter. The reason is the relationship of blood with Bangladesh besides the political and diplomatic relationship. Since the Liberation War of Bangladesh, India maintains the cordial relationship. Both the countries have jointly faced the foe. At the personal level, a unique bond of leadership has been created. All these have created a background of a different type of amity, especially in this Mujib Year. That memory! That love! That emotion! The Indo-Bangladesh bilateral friendly relations will further strengthen. During the period of Mujib Year, the Bangladesh High Commissioner to India, Muhammad Imran, on January 22, went to Delhi’s Bigyan Bhaban to witness an exhibition of Indo-Bangladesh amity. This exhibition was inaugurated virtually on December 17 during a video conference held between Bangladesh Premier Sheikh Hasina and Indian PM Narendra Modi. Observing the exhibition, Muhammad Imran termed it as an extra-ordinary one. The exhibition consists of many rare pictures, not only of war, but also of leaders. There is lots of information besides the pictures. The governments of the two countries are overseeing those. Muhammad Imran went round the exhibits and issued a statement. This exhibition will be on show in Kolkata too. After its show in Dhaka, the exhibition will finally be displayed at the United Nations. I am mentioning about the exhibition because of the Indo-Bangladesh bilateral ties and Mujib Year celebration programmes. Alongside, there is vaccine diplomacy. This diplomacy has heralded a new era of vaccine amity.

We are hopeful of sure success of vaccine amity of the two countries.

The writer is a senior journalist of India.

Translated by Z A M Khairuzzaman.