Since Biplob Kumar Deb won the Tripura state election as BJP leader unseating 25-year-long CPM chief minister Manik Sarkar, it was at once put down to saffron march into India's North-East region. But personally for Biplob, and by extension to Bangladesh, it marks a time when a legend/fable is elevated to a historical milestone. You may call it a new benchmark in the ties between Agartala and Dhaka.
Virtually a son of the soil -- his family migrating to Tripura in 1971, where he was given birth to -Biplob may have felt connected to his roots. In fact, his mother in an interview with NDTV revealed that his family named him Biplob in sync with the ambience of the Liberation War in Bangladesh.
Bearing testimony to all that remarkable coincidence, the would-be chief minister made a telephone call to Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina even before taking oath of office.
He asked for cooperation from the Bangladesh PM for the success of his mission geared to an acceleration of development process and job creation for the youth, planks on which a maiden BJP victory was crafted in the state.
The Bangladesh PM while reciprocating the sentiments of the new CM of Tripura struck an emotional note. She recalled Tripura's help in the emergence of Bangladesh as an independent country in 1971. The neighbouring Indian state had sheltered thousands of refugees from Bangladesh and provided training and arms to the freedom fighters, Bangladesh PM added.
But the exchange of courtesies go far beyond emotion-soaked symbolism; for the new chief minister has been driven by a robust sense of pragmatism. Tripura is a land-locked state of India which has already gained in terms of access to Bangladesh ; its prosperity being linked to closer economic ties with Bangladesh.
Manik Sarkar, the long-standing former chief minister of the state had realised that geography rendered development and security of Tripura intimately linked to cooperation with Bangladesh, 'especially in terms of road, rail and waterway connectivity.' At one stage, Manik Sarkar went on records to have urged the union government to prioritise relations with Bangladesh over that with Pakistan.
The then Tripura CM along with the Federal government secured the help of Sheikh Hasina government to use the territory of Bangladesh to bring in machinery and equipment for the Palatana power project in Tripura. In return, 100 MW of electricity flowed into Bangladesh.
There were other examples of cooperation extended to India; Bangladesh responding positively to India's request for land transit to ferry emergency food and medicine supplies to the state whose road connection with the rest of the India having been disrupted by monsoons. India also benefitted 'from fast Internet connectivity through Tripura for the entire north-eastern part of India' courtesy of Bangladesh, some years ago. This was inaugurated through video conferencing by Naredra Modi and Sheikh Hasina marking digital cooperation.
Since the new Tripura chief minister belongs to the BJP which is the ruling party at the centre, Biplob has the advantage of garnering fund and other supports for his development plans and efforts. He also can rely on the union government to carry his points in respect of going the extra mile with Bangladesh. Inasmuch as there is dearth of investors from rest of India as far as Tripura is concerned, Bangladeshi entrepreneurs might be welcomed to invest on attractive terms. There could be buy-back arrangements for the industries set up aiming to bridge some of the trade gaps.
Tripura considers itself as a gateway to south-eastern Bangladesh prizing an access to Chittagong and Mongla ports. It should be a two-way traffic with us getting access to Indian ports, if need be, on fair and reciprocal terms. Furthermore, we look towards being part of wider connectivity projects girdling southeast Asian countries. At present, we may work for strengthening road, rail and river communication with Tripura alongside spurts in investment and trade with the neighbouring Indian state.
