Bangladesh and Asian Highway
Monday, 2 November 2009
It appears that the present government of Bangladesh is determined to give the green signal finally for this country's final route and link-up in the Asian Highway. The politically controversial issue has remained unresolved for a long time.
There is no harm in taking decisive steps to resolve the issue for connectivity to promote trade. But the question is whether the government is taking the best option. It seems that the government is interested to connect Bangladesh with the Asian Highway in a manner that facilitates Indo-Bangladesh trade, and not Bangladesh's trade with the rest of South and South East Asia. The route, the present government is opting for, would link two parts of India through Bangladesh. Can it, nonetheless, be taken as the Asian Highway? It would be an overstatement to say that such a route would help Bangladesh's regional trade. The proposed route is likely to make South East Asia and the rest of South Asia remote. It would not be convenient for Bangladeshi businesses to use this route for trading with the wider region. This route would limit trade between Bangladesh and India.
ESCAP, the required UN body had suggested, a long ago, to link Bangladesh with the Asian Highway through Myanmar, China and the countries of South-East Asia. That route would not have limited Bangladesh trade with India alone.
Therefore, the government needs a rethink on the matter. The economic interest of Bangladesh must not be sacrificed to please others.
Samiul Haque
Dhanmondi, RA, Dhaka
There is no harm in taking decisive steps to resolve the issue for connectivity to promote trade. But the question is whether the government is taking the best option. It seems that the government is interested to connect Bangladesh with the Asian Highway in a manner that facilitates Indo-Bangladesh trade, and not Bangladesh's trade with the rest of South and South East Asia. The route, the present government is opting for, would link two parts of India through Bangladesh. Can it, nonetheless, be taken as the Asian Highway? It would be an overstatement to say that such a route would help Bangladesh's regional trade. The proposed route is likely to make South East Asia and the rest of South Asia remote. It would not be convenient for Bangladeshi businesses to use this route for trading with the wider region. This route would limit trade between Bangladesh and India.
ESCAP, the required UN body had suggested, a long ago, to link Bangladesh with the Asian Highway through Myanmar, China and the countries of South-East Asia. That route would not have limited Bangladesh trade with India alone.
Therefore, the government needs a rethink on the matter. The economic interest of Bangladesh must not be sacrificed to please others.
Samiul Haque
Dhanmondi, RA, Dhaka