And the worse Indians think of Bangladeshis, the worse Bangladeshis think of Indians. And the worse Bangladeshis think of Indians, the worse Indians think of Bangladeshis. And so it goes. Like I said, a vicious cycle.
But it is not hopeless. There are glimmers on the horizon. On the political front, we may finally be entering an era, both in Dhaka and New Delhi, where the powers that be have belatedly recognised that our mutually antagonistic relationship is both foolish and costly, and that we both stand to gain far more from cooperation than from confrontation.
And, at the person-to-person level, there is reason for cautious optimism. After all, even the most avid India-haters (cough! Khaleda, cough!) are addicted to Indian television and movies. There is a small number of pointy-headed intellectuals decrying this cultural invasion, but their timid voices are drowned out by the roar of approval from the hordes who tune in nightly to watch Indian Idol, Kajal, and Big Boss.
So, how to improve the sadly frayed Bangladesh-India relationship? Duty-free access to the Indian market would be a good start. Not flooding us every monsoon, nor hogging all the water in the dry season would help, too. And having the decency to lose a couple more cricket matches wouldn't hurt, either (happily, such is the inconsistency of the current Indian side that this is a distinct possibility).
But if India really wants to mend fences with Bangladesh, nothing would be more effective than sending the likes of Aishwarya Rai and Shahrukh Khan here on a goodwill trip. The minute they touch down in Dhaka, all will be forgiven. Trust me on this one.
