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A raw deal from a friendly neighbour

US dollar one billion line of Indian credit is a clever business promotion to finance the purchase of Indian buses, trains and other infra structure services. Bangladesh can do very little as it is left with no bargaining chip.

Abdul Hannan
That Foreign Minister Dipu Moni would return home empty handed from Delhi was a foregone conclusion, given the mindset of the Indian leaders and its internal political dynamics. And with the general election in India round the corner, the thought of any immediate shift of its stance is a delusion. The failed overtures to India to clinch deals in favour of Bangladesh have almost certainly caught the government on the wrong foot and may cast a shadow over its prospects in the forthcoming election.
The enthusiasm of our leaders over assumed resolution of long festering border and the Teesta water sharing disputes with India has now dissipated into dismay and disenchantment. Yet, it was not entirely unexpected. The great expectation about the result of talks brokered by the two advisers and confirmed by two prime ministers was a wild goose chase and a cry in wilderness. The implementation floundered on the rock of known Indian track record of breach of promise.
Yet, Bangladesh does not deserve such a raw deal. This sentiment is echoed by no lesser persons than four distinguished former Indian High Commissioners posted in Dhaka. Dev Mukherjee, Ranjeet Miner, Bina Shikri and
Muchken Dubey have said recently in an interview with the Delhi correspondent of the Protham Alo that Bangladesh during last four and half years have addressed many Indian concerns including security, and India should have reciprocated the gesture by living up to its promise on Teesta water sharing and land boundary agreements. They reiterated the responsibility of India to improve relations with Bangladesh.
This government, in good faith, has conceded to every Indian concern, every agenda, one after another, without getting anything in return. It has fully cooperated with India on 'transfer of sentenced persons, zero tolerance for insurgent activities from Bangladesh soil and combating international terrorism'. It has agreed to allow Kolkata-Dhaka bus service, Dhaka-Agartala bus service; and a direct Kolkata-Agartala bus service is now being developed. Construction of railway link between Agartala and Akhaura is underway. The Maitry train service between Dhaka and Kolkata is already under operation.
In 2010, during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to Delhi, a framework agreement was signed allowing river port transitfacility to the seven northeastern states of India from Ashuganj to Akhaura. Once implemented fully the agreement would allow India to transport annually an estimated 10 million tons of inward and outward goods to the eastern region, surpassing the previous level of river transport of about 50,000 tons of goods. It is almost a at a token cost.
Besides the use of Chittagong and Mongla ports, new ports of call including Ashuganj and Narayanganj have been added to the Indian shopping list. One of its companies floated, much to our horror, tenders for expansion of river port facilities in Narayanganj without the knowledge of the Bangladesh Government.
It was an extraordinary gesture of goodwill when the Bangladesh government allowed land transport of heavy and large oversized power plant machinery from Ashuganj to Agartala by erecting concrete slabs over TitasRiver. Titas, in fetters, a victim of ruthless assault, was in tears. These are all measures of so called connectivity to provide transit to the landlocked North East India by reducing huge distance, time and cost.
But India has been slow-footed and inert to meet the legitimate and existential concerns of Bangladesh. India backtracked on its assurance of equitable share of the Ganges water when Bangladesh suffered progressive diminution of water supply of the Ganges over the years.
The construction of Gozoldoba barrage and several dams on the Teesta, the uncertainty of the future of Feni, Manu, Muhuri, Khoai, Gumti, Dharla and Dudkumr rivers, the proposed linking of Himalayan rivers, Ganges and Brahmaputra, the proposed Tipaimukh hydroelectric plant on the Barak in Manipur and the coal fired power plant now being set up in the Sunderbans area by India, primarily for its benefit, are all swords of Damocles hanging on Bangladesh's head in the form of a looming spectre of environmental and ecological disaster.
Bangladesh has ratified the 1974 Indira-Mujib land boundary accord on exchange of
enclaves and adversely possessed land by transferring Berubari but India dithered and prevaricated till 2011 in implementing the accord.
While the Berlin wall has been dismantled, India has constructed barbed wire fence along its border with Bangladesh. There have been at least 1000 deaths of Bangladeshis by BSF firing during the last one decade for alleged infiltration attempts. The incident of brutal torture of alleged smugglers and merciless killing of Felani is an ugly scar. Raising and iron curtain and seeking transit facility seems incongrous.
India treats Bangladesh as a protected market of its goods and services. There is yawning multi billion dollar trade deficit. While Indian exports stood at $4,743 billion, Bangladesh export stood at only $498 million during 2011-12. The waiver of duty of 46 exportable items is a fig leaf to cover inadequacies. US dollar one billion line of Indian credit is a clever business promotion to finance the purchase of Indian buses, trains and other infra structure services.
Bangladesh can do very little as it is left with no bargaining chip. It was our folly to give away everything.