Travel to SAARC countries
Sunday, 12 July 2015
We are familiar with the word "connectivity" for the last several years. However, my copy of oxford dictionary of 1500 pages of 1960 edition does not contain this word. At the start of Second World War, Adolph Hitler, the 'Fuhrer' of Germany occupied Belgium and Holland by 1939-40. I could see that the Germans could travel to those countries showing their ID cards made on a cloth paper and this ID was no better than our school and college ID's. On the other hand, India's role in our liberation war of 1971 is far greater, but travel to India with a valid visa is becoming increasingly difficult, while dozens of Bangladeshis are evicted regularly from India because of illegal entry. I remember, as a student of Technical University, Aachen, Westfalen, West Germany in 1957 I could enter Holland, Belgium etc. and it was not difficult to visit France or Switzerland without visa though visa was required. Very often I visited Holland to buy daily necessities and we had to pay a nominal duty at the border post which was like one of our bus stands or so. I would like to ask the authorities sincerely whether we can have entry to India without visa or at best can have visa on arrival and as practised in EU countries can travel visa free in SAARC countries. Let inter-country cooperation be practised as connectivity.
Mohammad Ali
138 New Eskaton
Dhaka-1000