Treading softly

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Mahmudur Rahman
The ambassador of the United States to Bangladesh has got a few tongues waggling with his recent visit to the office of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Golam Rahman.
Rahman made the headlines a few days back for some succinct comments on how and why the commission wasn't progressing as progressively as he and, one dare say the people would want. It would have been befitting the Prime Minister, if she had invited the ACC chief to appreciate better, through a face-to-face meeting, what had prompted Rahman to make such a statement to the media. Parliament could also have raised the issue. Why the US ambassador called on the ACC chief has not quite been clearly aired. It leaves some questions hanging in the air.
In another recent development involving foreign diplomats, outgoing Indian High Commissioner Pinak Ranjan Chakravarti was reported as saying that during the Prime Minister's visit to India later this year, the transit treaty would be signed. Indian Railways
Minister, the redoubtable Mamata Banerjee has declared a couple of days ago to her countrymen that by 2015 there would be train connections between Bangladesh, Delhi and Bhutan. In these days of open skies and relaxed borders, such a concept may grab the fancy but pray why is it that Bangladesh has to hear this news from others than our very own?
It has often been said by politicians and economists that transit and such will be beneficial to Bangladesh in terms of revenue earnings. And if the ACC is allowed to go after the corrupt, systems and processes may begin to work again. Nothing like it. But, and it's a big but, why are these benefits not being spelt out in more concrete terms?
In a recent talk show, Finance Adviser in the past caretaker government Mirza Azizul Islam was asked about the benefits of the proposed Asian Highway especially in the industrially backward areas of northern Bangladesh. He hesitated before venturing that industrialisation in those areas would be dependent on a lot more i.e. infrastructural development.
In the past couple of years Narayanganj has been in the news as a possible mid-stop destination for Indian vessels and more recently Ashuganj to be used for a similar purpose in return for land transit with Bhutan. People who have done the sums need to come forth with their results so that there is transparency. The nation may dream of a brighter future but it would be useful to know who is treading on us and where. And in the meantime, now that the High Commissioner to the UK is getting ministerial status perhaps it would be a good idea to hold a private television Sanglap of our own to discuss the shortcomings of the Brits for a change! (The writer is a former head of corporate and regulatory affairs of British-American Tobacco Bangladesh and former CEO of Bangladesh Cricket Board. He can be reached at mahmudrahman@gmail.com)