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SOFA still on agenda,says US envoy

UNB, Dhaka
The USA likes to pursue the stalled Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with the new government of Bangladesh for smooth military cooperation between Dhaka and Washington.
"We've not dropped the idea...We've this agreement with many countries around the world... It makes easier military-to-military cooperation and exchanges," US Ambassador Mary Ann Peters said here yesterday.
Briefing a group of journalists at the US Centre, she said USA and Bangladesh had been doing military exercises and training over the years, but every time it requires signing MOU by the two sides which is a delaying process. If there is such an arrangement like SOFA, provision of MOU would not be required and things would be easier.
Asked if USA would pursue it with the new government in Bangladesh, the
envoy said she had not yet raised the matter with the government. But, she added, "certainly we like to pursue some arrangement with the new government to rationalise the arrangement for military cooperation".
The United States had first made the proposal for signing SOFA with the previous Awami League government. But it could not proceed in the face of a storm of controversy and protest in political circles.
Peters, however, made it clear that "it is not a basing agreement. It has nothing to do with any American desire to establish some kind of military base in Bangladesh."
Karl Fritz, Director of the American Centre, Paul Poletes, Deputy Director, Lt. Col. Bob Wilkinson, US Defense and Army Attache and Information chief A A Ahmed Ali were present at the briefing session.
Referring to controversies over the alleged corruption involving C-130B aircraft Bangladesh received from USA last year, the ambassador said the US government under the Excess Defense Articles (EDA) programme delivered four C-130B aircraft as a "gift" to Bangladesh.
Under the EDA, the recipient country is to bear the costs of transportation, refurbishing, training and spare parts. The cost to Bangladesh for these services was around 31 million US dollars, which is less than the cost of a single new C-130B of over 50 million US dollars.
Peters said the four C-130B airplanes were given on the basis of grants -- not sold to Bangladesh -for enhancing the country's capability of peacekeeping operation, exercises or any other operation by the Bangladesh Air Force.
She said successful introduction of these aircraft into BAF inventory enhanced its interoperability in any future military exercises and improved Bangladesh's capabilities for transporting its armed forces and supplies in support of relief and peacekeeping missions.
In reply to a question about alleged corruption in acquisition of the aircraft, the ambassador dismissed the notion straightway saying that there is no way that anyone here can interfere in the procedures set in the EDA or make money out of it.
The Bangladesh government, she said, paid for the incidental costs directly to the US government and there is no room for any manipulation or making money.
US Defense Attache Bob Wilkinson said earlier Bangladesh had also received 12 T-38 jets under the EDA for training the cadets of BAF.
He informed the newsmen that Bangladesh and USA would cosponsor a multinational Platoon exercise in September involving platoons of six nations and observers from 12 countries.
Apart from military affairs, Mary was asked to comment on domestic politics, human rights, law-and-order situation and export of natural
gas since her country is a major business partner of Bangladesh.
About the much-talked-about export of gas and apparent US interest in the committee report on it by June, she said it is a decision to be taken by the people of Bangladesh because potential benefits out of its exploitation in many ways will accrue to Bangladesh, not to USA.
She observed there had been debate on the levels of proven reserve of gas. Quoting geologists and expert opinions, she said actual reserve of gas here would be much higher than the proven reserves.
About the functioning of democracy now that a new government is in office here, the US diplomat said, "Since no democracy is perfect, everyone would agree that Bangladesh is not a perfect democracy."
Making an observation on law and order, she said everyone here would recognise that the situation could be improved.
On the more delicate issue of human rights, she would not make any comments in detail. She pointed to a country paper issued by the United States last March explaining the situation.
The ambassador, however, had a word of praise that there had not been any echo in Bangladesh of the horrible religious violence in the Indian State of Gujarat though the percentage of minorities in both India and Bangladesh is almost same.