You have substance in your comments regarding indian attitude. but to talk about pure business we need to cash in every opportunity we get.
I belive by having a deep sea port and to serve NE through this port will create enormous opportunity for BD business. Once it is open then india wont be able to keep its door closed for NE. NE will automatically come to us.
Yes, you are right in your assessment on the merits of providing service to the NE if and when a deep sea-port is built in BD. Any two neighbouring countries have many problems, but each of the problems should be solved separately.
Considering the immense economic benefits, we just cannot deny access to our proposed deep port by India. A seaport will cost us more than $10 billion to build. Therefore, the port must look for a bigger and bigger volume of businesses so that it does not become a money spending losing concern.
A deep seaport near Cox's Bazaar will allow it to provide service not only to Chittagong and Mongla, but also to Kolkata, other eastern ports of India, NE as well as Yunan Province of China. It will also serve Nepal and Bhutan. Only this kind of expanded business will keep the port afloat. A port closed to all will be bad business. Why the country should build such a port if it has no business to do? It will be a waste of money.
Presently, Singapore is the only nearest deep seaport. From here the goods for the nearby countries are loaded/unloaded to the smaller ships. The new BD seaport will have the same function as the Singapore port. Big ships with goods destined for the Indian east coast ports, NE, China, Nepal and Bhutan will anchor there, and the smaller ships will do the rest of the works. Of course, NE and China will use land route.
India has already taken steps to open the doors in the NE. BD traders are expecting to raise their exports there to $1 billion by 2011. Our garments, cement, plastic goods, bricks and many other items will find good market in the NE.
It is time that BD regards the NE as its economic co-prosperity zone. Assam and Tripura belong to India, but, we cannot just abandon these States, because, many, excluding the Mongolians, of their people, Hindu or Muslim, are basically from Bangladesh. They are our people, but living in a separate country. Therefore, access to our deep seaport by NE should be seen also in that light.
Moreover, they will not take away anything from us free. It is trade and business, whereby both the parties are winners. NE needs our cooperation to develop.