Outcome of the FM's India visit
Sunday, 20 September 2009
Mahfuzul Huq
A number of agreements and expressions of resolve have resulted from the recent visit of Foreign Minister (FM) Dipu Moni to New Delhi. A notable accord was related to Bangladesh agreeing to provide India access to its Ashuganj river port for limited transshipment of goods to the Indian state of Tripura.
Agreements were also reached on joint hydrological observation of the common rivers which is considered the stepping stone towards their better maintenance on both sides. The agreement to undertake bank protection works, dredging of the Ichamati river and irrigation/drinking water schemes on the Feni river will also be helpful for Bangladesh. These works could so far make no tangible progress due to the non-cooperation of the Indian authorities. It was also agreed to expedite negotiations to reach a settlement on water sharing of the Teesta river.
It appears that the consent from Bangladesh to allow the use of its Ashuganj river port for the limited transshipment of Indian goods was in lieu of the assurances from the Indian authorities that they would now facilitate Bangladesh's connectivity to Nepal and Bhutan for trade purposes. But such facilities were pledged and given long ago and remained practically inoperable due to the lack of real cooperation from the Indian side.
One would only hope that a win-win situation for both countries will emerge in respect of these issues after the FM's visit, with Bangladesh actually getting the facilities through Indian land corridors for increasing its trading with Nepal and Bhutan and India making use of the Ashuganj river port. Opportunities for limited import of power from India were also discussed during the FM's visit.
Thus, a number of issues of some significance for Bangladesh and India were addressed during Foreign Minister Dipu Moni's visit to New Delhi. However, the bigger issues on which depend lasting improvement of bilateral relations between the two countries have largely been left unaddressed. Such issues, among others, include the demarcation of sea boundaries of the two countries, imposition of non-tariff barriers on Bangladeshi exports and aggressive activities of the Indian border security force. Discussions on these issues need to commence well before the expected visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India.
A number of agreements and expressions of resolve have resulted from the recent visit of Foreign Minister (FM) Dipu Moni to New Delhi. A notable accord was related to Bangladesh agreeing to provide India access to its Ashuganj river port for limited transshipment of goods to the Indian state of Tripura.
Agreements were also reached on joint hydrological observation of the common rivers which is considered the stepping stone towards their better maintenance on both sides. The agreement to undertake bank protection works, dredging of the Ichamati river and irrigation/drinking water schemes on the Feni river will also be helpful for Bangladesh. These works could so far make no tangible progress due to the non-cooperation of the Indian authorities. It was also agreed to expedite negotiations to reach a settlement on water sharing of the Teesta river.
It appears that the consent from Bangladesh to allow the use of its Ashuganj river port for the limited transshipment of Indian goods was in lieu of the assurances from the Indian authorities that they would now facilitate Bangladesh's connectivity to Nepal and Bhutan for trade purposes. But such facilities were pledged and given long ago and remained practically inoperable due to the lack of real cooperation from the Indian side.
One would only hope that a win-win situation for both countries will emerge in respect of these issues after the FM's visit, with Bangladesh actually getting the facilities through Indian land corridors for increasing its trading with Nepal and Bhutan and India making use of the Ashuganj river port. Opportunities for limited import of power from India were also discussed during the FM's visit.
Thus, a number of issues of some significance for Bangladesh and India were addressed during Foreign Minister Dipu Moni's visit to New Delhi. However, the bigger issues on which depend lasting improvement of bilateral relations between the two countries have largely been left unaddressed. Such issues, among others, include the demarcation of sea boundaries of the two countries, imposition of non-tariff barriers on Bangladeshi exports and aggressive activities of the Indian border security force. Discussions on these issues need to commence well before the expected visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India.