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To sign or not to sign the deal

Z. A Khan
A number of dignitaries from our big neighbour are visiting Bangladesh, probably to sign a few deals, transit through Bangladesh being the prominent one. Indeed it is necessary to cultivate 'live and let live' relationship with the neighbours, it is also imperative that people's mood is assessed before concluding any deal that can fuel resentment and agitation. The nation is aware of economic advantages that we could reap when deals are signed. At the same time we are not too sure that we will not have to bear the same kind of frustration of witnessing gross violations of the agreements signed with our mighty neighbour since 1974.
India, which is beleaguered by insurgencies fighting for separation in the North East, has exhausted all its means to bear upon the insurgents to halt their movements. India at times alleged that Bangladesh provides the insurgents with sanctuary although it has provided safe heaven to tens of thousands of our hills people when they were conducting insurgency against Bangladesh. Insurgents of NE India has threatened us of dire consequences if we provide transit facilities for passage of military hardware through Bangladesh. Although in the deal it may be mentioned that no military equipment will be carried through Bangladesh, it will be an uphill task to monitor any default when hundreds of containers carrying transports will be plying on 24x7 mode.
Yes as a medium sized developing economy, we do need plenty of fund for our continued growth. India's gesture to help us develop our land communicability do merit a mention. I do not think we need that badly now as the West and China are readying
themselves to relocate their currently unsafe investments in ME and North Africa as they are locked in fratricidal war. Bangladesh being moderate democracy, politically less volatile, having comparatively cheap labour
factory. Deals with regard to returning of enclaves, sharing of water as the lower riparian country of the international river system, narrowing of trade imbalance and unabated misdemeanor of BSF with impunity are a
and growing efficient mid level managerial expertise is heard to be in many developing country's list for investment. This shows that our growth potential is bright. Therefore we should not be in indecent haste to sign deads with anybody.
In view of the foregoing I feel that we should be more prudent in signing the deal. Yes, there are great advantages that the deal offers. Our people, we should not overlook, are wary of deals with India as our experience of Indian honouring of deals is not satis-
few examples that generated our disbelief of Indian treatment of deals with us.
It is claimed that in the context of today's global economy, no country should disengage itself from the global responsibility of development of interconnectivity. Some people ask if China can adopt confidence building measures (CBM) with India for the purpose of trade and commerce, if Pakistan could trade with India and if some Arab countries can pursue commerce with Israel, why the two,
Bangladesh and India, cannot do so? The answer is not difficult to seek. It is the psychological impasse. India should take initiative. India should, without wasting any time, declare a timeline to honour the deals signed in the past, stop making undiplomatic statements about our internal affairs.
We do want all our neighbours to be equal partners of our development with no strings. We have to build strategic partnership with the neighbours to form an economic alliance like EEC, Asean etc, so that one country's surplus resources can be utilized by the other neighbouring countries as most favored nation. Subjugation fuels insubordination which is unpalatable for the recipient. Suspicion breeds disbelief even in an earnest scheme. Our friendship with India hangs on Indian sincerity stat rapprochement by adopting an honest remedial approach.
I urge upon all not to treat this agreement from the political point of view which does not suit in the global scheme of things. Let us put ourselves together to bear upon all future donors not to tie us so badly that we are constrained to feel that they are hatching plans to subjugate us for their gains. Bangladesh, thankfully, has crossed the phase when we could be constrained to accept the dictated terms without considering their suitability and is about to set the nation free from the shackles of underdevelopment. Therefore, our governments should not contemplate to sign deals without making a fresh assessment of people's mood, especially when there is a psychological barrier.
The writer is a former director general of BUSS, Dhaka.