POBNEWS24, Dhaka May 10, 2025 : India and Pakistan have agreed to a ceasefire under US mediation. After US President Donald Trump announced the ceasefire on Saturday (May 10), Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dhar confirmed the matter.
According to experts, the ceasefire is creating a possibility of establishing peace in the region – this is good news for Bangladesh. At the same time, it may be necessary to determine a new policy considering how the relationship between the two countries progresses in the changing situation. However, according to them, the impasse that has arisen over the Indus Water Treaty, how the two countries resolve it, is very important for Bangladesh.
In this regard, a former diplomat told this correspondent, “Since India and Pakistan are in the same region, its impact will be felt more in Bangladesh, which is natural. Peace is returning due to the ceasefire, which is certainly good news for the countries and people of the region.
However, even if the war situation subsides, political relations between the two countries will not immediately normalize, he said, “At this moment, the internal political elements of the two countries will prevent us from sitting at the negotiating table and resolving the issue. Just as the people of India do not support the issue of talks with Pakistan at this moment, if the Pakistani government sits at the negotiating table, the Pakistanis may consider it as their defeat.”
Therefore, Dhaka should maintain relations with Delhi and Islamabad, taking into account the sensitivities of the two countries, he said.
Indus Water Treaty
After 26 tourists were killed in a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Indian Kashmir on April 22, India blamed Pakistan for the incident. The next day, India unilaterally suspended the Indus Water Treaty between the two countries and Pakistan announced that it would consider it an ‘act of war’. India entered Pakistan’s interior and carried out air strikes amid border clashes. In response, Pakistan also entered India’s interior and carried out air strikes on military installations.
A former diplomat said, “Just as India’s security is the most important thing, Bangladesh’s water supply is the most important thing. Being a low-lying country, Bangladesh’s water supply depends on India’s water flow.”
The Indus Water Treaty was brokered in the 1960s by the World Bank. After that, India and Pakistan were involved in several conflicts, but the agreement was not violated. But the new and changed India has taken such a tough decision, and he believes that it is an important message for other countries in the region.
The former diplomat said, “India’s 30-year Ganga water treaty with Bangladesh will expire in 2026. In addition, discussions are underway on the sharing of water from several other rivers. In this context, India’s unilateral decision is a warning to other countries.”
Standing on terrorism
On Friday (May 9), US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stressed the need for immediate de-escalation during a telephone conversation with Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and Pakistani President Shahbaz Sharif. Rubio also expressed the US’s willingness to support direct communication and dialogue between India and Pakistan.
According to a statement from the US State Department, on India, “the US Secretary of State reiterated his condolences for the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam and reiterated the United States’ commitment to working with India in the fight against terrorism.”
After his talks with the Pakistani president, the statement said, “The US Secretary of State, expressing regret over the loss of civilian lives in the ongoing conflict, reiterated his call for Pakistan to take firm action to end any support for terrorist groups.”
Another former Bangladeshi diplomat said, “The US Secretary of State did not give the same message to India and Pakistan. Delhi was told that the United States would support India in the fight against terrorism. On the other hand, Islamabad was told to take firm action against terrorism.”
He said, “Bangladesh needs to carefully consider the different messages from the US to the two countries.”
