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Night and day Indians are imagining, and spoiling their dhoti, about a Chinese invasion. To tackle that they have to sell themselves further to USA.
India pressuring Bangladesh to sign defense treaty
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Night and day Indians are imagining, and spoiling their dhoti, about a Chinese invasion. To tackle that they have to sell themselves further to USA.
Summary translation:
Bangladesh major political parties expressed concern about india pressuring Bangladesh signing a defense treaty. They have asked awami league regime which came to power without mandate but with active indian interference, to disclose what is being planned during awami league chief visit to india. Security and strategic "analysts" expressed grave concern that defense treaty with india will be detrimental to Bangladesh sovereignty and national security. They have cited how SriLanka suffered under a defense treaty with india.
চুক্তির জন্য ভারতের চাপ সুসংবাদ নয়: বিএনপি
ভারত বাংলাদেশ সরকারকে প্রতিরক্ষা চুক্তির জন্য চাপ দিচ্ছে দাবি করে বিএনপির জ্যেষ্ঠ যুগ্ম মহাসচিব রুহুল কবির রিজভী বলেছেন, এটি বাংলাদেশের জন্য মোটেও সুসংবাদ নয়। ভারত যেভাবে চাপ সৃষ্টি করতে চায় তা বাংলাদেশের জাতীয় নিরাপত্তা পরিপন্থী ও নিয়ম বহির্ভূত।
আজ শুক্রবার নয়াপল্টনে দলের কেন্দ্রীয় কার্যালয়ে এক সংবাদ ব্রিফিংয়ে রিজভী এই অভিযোগ করেন।
রিজভী বলেন, ‘সাউথ চায়না মর্নিং পোস্টের উদ্ধৃতি দিয়ে ভারতের বিভিন্ন গণমাধ্যমে প্রকাশিত ভারতের সাথে প্রতিরক্ষার চুক্তির বিষয়ে যে সংবাদ প্রকাশিত হয়েছে তার প্রতি দেশবাসীর উদ্বেগের সাথে দৃষ্টি আকর্ষিত হয়েছে। ভারত বাংলাদেশ সরকারকে প্রতিরক্ষা চুক্তির জন্য যে চাপ দিচ্ছে, তা বাংলাদেশের জন্য মোটেও সুসংবাদ নয়। এই পরিপ্রেক্ষিতে বাংলাদেশ সরকার কী ভূমিকা রাখবে এটিও খুব স্পষ্ট নয়।’
রিজভী অভিযোগ করেন, বাংলাদেশের নিরাপত্তা ও প্রতিরক্ষা ব্যবস্থায় ‘মেড ইন ইন্ডিয়া’ ছাপ মারতেই এই চুক্তির জন্য ভারত চাপ প্রয়োগ করছে বলে জনমনে ব্যাপক সন্দেহ দানা বেঁধেছে। সংবাদ পত্রে এমনও খবর প্রকাশিত হয়েছে যে, তিস্তা চুক্তির টোপ দিয়ে বাংলাদেশ-ভারত প্রতিরক্ষা চুক্তি স্বাক্ষর করে নেওয়ার চেষ্টা চলছে। এ ধরনের চুক্তি হলে দেশের সার্বভৌমত্ব হুমকির মুখে পড়বে। শ্রীলঙ্কাও এ ধরনের চুক্তি করেছিল, যার পরিণতি হয়েছে ভয়ানক।
বিএনপির এই নেতা আরও বলেন, বাংলাদেশের সঙ্গে ভারত যে প্রতিরক্ষা চুক্তির কথা বলছে তা বাংলাদেশের নাগরিকদের এখন খুবই উদ্বিগ্ন করে তুলেছে। এটি বাংলাদেশের নাগরিকদের আশা-আকাঙ্ক্ষার প্রতিফলন তো নয়ই বরং গোটা জাতিকে গভীর হতাশা ও দুশ্চিন্তার মধ্যে ফেলেছে। যেখানে বাংলাদেশ-ভারত সীমান্ত পৃথিবীর সবচেয়ে রক্তরঞ্জিত সীমান্ত, সেখানে ভারত বাংলাদেশের স্বার্থে প্রতিরক্ষা চুক্তি সম্পাদন করবে এটা মোটেও বিশ্বাসযোগ্য নয়।
সরকারকে হুঁশিয়ারি দিয়ে রিজভী বলেন, এ ধরনের রাষ্ট্রবিরোধী প্রতিরক্ষা চুক্তি স্বাক্ষরিত হলে জনগণ তা সব শক্তি দিয়ে প্রতিহত করবে। এ দেশের জনগণ বাংলাদেশকে সিকিম বা করদমিত্র রাজ্যের স্ট্যাটাসে অবনমিত করতে দেবে না।
জামায়াতের উদ্বেগ: বিএনপির রাজনৈতিক মিত্র জামায়াতে ইসলামীর সেক্রেটারি জেনারেল শফিকুর রহমান আজ এক বিবৃতিতে বলেন, প্রধানমন্ত্রী শেখ হাসিনার আসন্ন ভারত সফরকালে ভারতের সঙ্গে কী ধরনের নিরাপত্তা ও সামরিক চুক্তি করা হচ্ছে তা দেশবাসী সরকারের কাছে জানতে চায়।
উদ্বেগ প্রকাশ করে তিনি বলেন, বিভিন্ন সূত্র থেকে তারা জানতে পেরেছে প্রধানমন্ত্রী শেখ হাসিনার আসন্ন ভারত সফরকালে ভারতের সঙ্গে একটি নিরাপত্তা ও সামরিক চুক্তি সম্পাদন করা হচ্ছে। এ চুক্তির বিষয়ে দেশের জনগণ কিছুই জানে না। দেশের জনগণকে অন্ধকারে রেখে ভারতের সঙ্গে গোপনে নিরাপত্তা ও সামরিক চুক্তি সম্পাদনের ব্যাপারে দেশের জনগণ শঙ্কিত ও উদ্বিগ্ন।
http://www.newsbangla.net/newsdetail/detail/200/290169
Bangladesh major political parties expressed concern about india pressuring Bangladesh signing a defense treaty. They have asked awami league regime which came to power without mandate but with active indian interference, to disclose what is being planned during awami league chief visit to india. Security and strategic "analysts" expressed grave concern that defense treaty with india will be detrimental to Bangladesh sovereignty and national security. They have cited how SriLanka suffered under a defense treaty with india.
চুক্তির জন্য ভারতের চাপ সুসংবাদ নয়: বিএনপি
ভারত বাংলাদেশ সরকারকে প্রতিরক্ষা চুক্তির জন্য চাপ দিচ্ছে দাবি করে বিএনপির জ্যেষ্ঠ যুগ্ম মহাসচিব রুহুল কবির রিজভী বলেছেন, এটি বাংলাদেশের জন্য মোটেও সুসংবাদ নয়। ভারত যেভাবে চাপ সৃষ্টি করতে চায় তা বাংলাদেশের জাতীয় নিরাপত্তা পরিপন্থী ও নিয়ম বহির্ভূত।
আজ শুক্রবার নয়াপল্টনে দলের কেন্দ্রীয় কার্যালয়ে এক সংবাদ ব্রিফিংয়ে রিজভী এই অভিযোগ করেন।
রিজভী বলেন, ‘সাউথ চায়না মর্নিং পোস্টের উদ্ধৃতি দিয়ে ভারতের বিভিন্ন গণমাধ্যমে প্রকাশিত ভারতের সাথে প্রতিরক্ষার চুক্তির বিষয়ে যে সংবাদ প্রকাশিত হয়েছে তার প্রতি দেশবাসীর উদ্বেগের সাথে দৃষ্টি আকর্ষিত হয়েছে। ভারত বাংলাদেশ সরকারকে প্রতিরক্ষা চুক্তির জন্য যে চাপ দিচ্ছে, তা বাংলাদেশের জন্য মোটেও সুসংবাদ নয়। এই পরিপ্রেক্ষিতে বাংলাদেশ সরকার কী ভূমিকা রাখবে এটিও খুব স্পষ্ট নয়।’
রিজভী অভিযোগ করেন, বাংলাদেশের নিরাপত্তা ও প্রতিরক্ষা ব্যবস্থায় ‘মেড ইন ইন্ডিয়া’ ছাপ মারতেই এই চুক্তির জন্য ভারত চাপ প্রয়োগ করছে বলে জনমনে ব্যাপক সন্দেহ দানা বেঁধেছে। সংবাদ পত্রে এমনও খবর প্রকাশিত হয়েছে যে, তিস্তা চুক্তির টোপ দিয়ে বাংলাদেশ-ভারত প্রতিরক্ষা চুক্তি স্বাক্ষর করে নেওয়ার চেষ্টা চলছে। এ ধরনের চুক্তি হলে দেশের সার্বভৌমত্ব হুমকির মুখে পড়বে। শ্রীলঙ্কাও এ ধরনের চুক্তি করেছিল, যার পরিণতি হয়েছে ভয়ানক।
বিএনপির এই নেতা আরও বলেন, বাংলাদেশের সঙ্গে ভারত যে প্রতিরক্ষা চুক্তির কথা বলছে তা বাংলাদেশের নাগরিকদের এখন খুবই উদ্বিগ্ন করে তুলেছে। এটি বাংলাদেশের নাগরিকদের আশা-আকাঙ্ক্ষার প্রতিফলন তো নয়ই বরং গোটা জাতিকে গভীর হতাশা ও দুশ্চিন্তার মধ্যে ফেলেছে। যেখানে বাংলাদেশ-ভারত সীমান্ত পৃথিবীর সবচেয়ে রক্তরঞ্জিত সীমান্ত, সেখানে ভারত বাংলাদেশের স্বার্থে প্রতিরক্ষা চুক্তি সম্পাদন করবে এটা মোটেও বিশ্বাসযোগ্য নয়।
সরকারকে হুঁশিয়ারি দিয়ে রিজভী বলেন, এ ধরনের রাষ্ট্রবিরোধী প্রতিরক্ষা চুক্তি স্বাক্ষরিত হলে জনগণ তা সব শক্তি দিয়ে প্রতিহত করবে। এ দেশের জনগণ বাংলাদেশকে সিকিম বা করদমিত্র রাজ্যের স্ট্যাটাসে অবনমিত করতে দেবে না।
জামায়াতের উদ্বেগ: বিএনপির রাজনৈতিক মিত্র জামায়াতে ইসলামীর সেক্রেটারি জেনারেল শফিকুর রহমান আজ এক বিবৃতিতে বলেন, প্রধানমন্ত্রী শেখ হাসিনার আসন্ন ভারত সফরকালে ভারতের সঙ্গে কী ধরনের নিরাপত্তা ও সামরিক চুক্তি করা হচ্ছে তা দেশবাসী সরকারের কাছে জানতে চায়।
উদ্বেগ প্রকাশ করে তিনি বলেন, বিভিন্ন সূত্র থেকে তারা জানতে পেরেছে প্রধানমন্ত্রী শেখ হাসিনার আসন্ন ভারত সফরকালে ভারতের সঙ্গে একটি নিরাপত্তা ও সামরিক চুক্তি সম্পাদন করা হচ্ছে। এ চুক্তির বিষয়ে দেশের জনগণ কিছুই জানে না। দেশের জনগণকে অন্ধকারে রেখে ভারতের সঙ্গে গোপনে নিরাপত্তা ও সামরিক চুক্তি সম্পাদনের ব্যাপারে দেশের জনগণ শঙ্কিত ও উদ্বিগ্ন।
http://www.newsbangla.net/newsdetail/detail/200/290169
Is Bangladesh going to sign defence pact with India?
Indian media reports widely published about Prime Minister Sheikh Hasian’s visit to Delhi, tentatively April 7-8, and signing of a ‘ big defence deal’ has raised eyebrows in Dhaka. Opposition BNP leaders Dr Moyeen Khan and Ruhul Kabir Khan Rizvi viewed defence pact in line with Indian strategy will be perilous and will endanger the country’s integrity and sovereignty. Such a pact is likely to reduce the status of Bangladesh to Sikkim, now a part of India, and Bhutan, a tributary of India.
They warned that neither the nation nor the armed forces are likely to accept a defence pact with India. A section of the media expressing deep concern was also critical of the move, though the government has not yet confirmed its decision to sign along the dotted line of the India-proposed defence pact.
Pitfalls of such an agreement
After several postponements, it appears that the Prime Minister has finally agreed to visit India, but her government is believed to be reluctant to sign a defence pact that India is pushing for. The reason is obvious.
An analyst recently wrote in Quora (India), “India should seek for a defence agreement with Bangladesh that can allow transport of troops and military logistics to the Northeast Indian states through the transit corridor over Bangladesh soil” for ensuring the security of India’s Northeast states – a hub of insurgencies raging for decades for their independence from India. The various militant groups reportedly with external support are a constant threat to the Indian government. In the event of any escalation of the insurgency, it is natural that India would invoke the proposed defence pact to transport troops and arms through the transit corridor. This will no doubt endanger security and sovereignty of Bangladesh provoking the insurgents to trespass into Bangladesh territory. Given the urgency of the defence pact for India for transporting troops and arms through the available transit corridor, analysts have warned that India may even apply a stick and carrot policy to achieve its objectives.
This is not a mere fiction. Such a policy has succeeded in case with Nepal and Bhutan as well. It is no secret how New Delhi had orchestrated the fall of K P Oli government in Kathmandu for its open pro-Beijing stance and the Thinely government in Bhutan was overthrown for attempting to develop diplomatic relations with China. Delhi also allegedly orchestrated the fall of strongman Rajapaksa in Sri Lanka for his closer ties with China.
Why this defence pact?
Besides, Indian attempts to create trouble in Tibet in China and promoting Dalai Lama and his government in exile in India is a cause of long term concern for China. Delhi knows it and deliberately does it. Also there is long border dispute between India and China. In case of a flaring up of any of these disputes, India will invoke the defence pact with Bangladesh in a bid to protect its Northern Indian states to the annoyance of Beijing.
Quora (India) further suggested that India should also seek a trade and import corridor through Bangladesh plains which is less risky than the treacherous mountain route of Shilliguri Corridor that takes more than a day to reach remote Northeast Indian states. It will also facilitate quick movement of people to the mainland. According to the Indian media reports, Delhi wants to have a 25-year agreement on defence cooperation with Bangladesh but Dhaka still appears sceptical about such a long time frame. Sources suggest Dhaka may agree to sign a MoU, which would be less formal with no time frame.
Informed sources say, another factor why India wants to push for this defence deal is because China has emerged as a major supplier of arms to the Bangladesh Army and is also a destination for its officers to receive training. The recent purchase of submarines from China by Bangladesh has caused deep concern in New Delhi. Strategists in India are questioning why Bangladesh needed submarines as it is surrounded by India on three sides and it has already settled its maritime disputes with— Myanmar and India through international arbitration in 2012 and 2014, respectively.
Defending the defence pact
India is apprehensive that China is trying to encircle it by influencing its neighbours. China upgrading its relationship with Bangladesh during Xi Jinping’s visit in 2016 is seen as an evidence of the same. Bangladeshi diplomats however, say that Indian military hardware is not competitive and the recent examples are Myanmar and Nepal.
This is being touted as the reason why Bangladesh does not want to get into a long term defence pact with India when Chinese military equipments are better, cheaper and easy to use. In view of strong opposition at home against the India-proposed defence pact with India, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is unlikely to push the country’s armed forces toward this. Sources say, on questions of defence, she is likely to go by advice that military provides. India has been a traditional ally of successive Awami League governments, Hasina has addressed the entire gamut of Indian security and connectivity including pushing insurgents and allowing transit corridor to reach troubled Northeast states. It is now payback time for India.
During her upcoming visit to Delhi, Hasina needs to show some positive returns from India to the people for her pro-Indian policy, including sharing of Teesta waters and of other common rivers, stoppage of the continuous killings of unarmed civilians by the Indian border guards along the border.
Interestingly, while Hasina does not seem to want to upset the army by entering into a 25-year defence treaty with India or for that matter any country, she also would not like to upset New Delhi before the national election due in January 2019. It will be a quite difficult task for her to choose the right course.
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Indian media reports widely published about Prime Minister Sheikh Hasian’s visit to Delhi, tentatively April 7-8, and signing of a ‘ big defence deal’ has raised eyebrows in Dhaka. Opposition BNP leaders Dr Moyeen Khan and Ruhul Kabir Khan Rizvi viewed defence pact in line with Indian strategy will be perilous and will endanger the country’s integrity and sovereignty. Such a pact is likely to reduce the status of Bangladesh to Sikkim, now a part of India, and Bhutan, a tributary of India.
They warned that neither the nation nor the armed forces are likely to accept a defence pact with India. A section of the media expressing deep concern was also critical of the move, though the government has not yet confirmed its decision to sign along the dotted line of the India-proposed defence pact.
Pitfalls of such an agreement
After several postponements, it appears that the Prime Minister has finally agreed to visit India, but her government is believed to be reluctant to sign a defence pact that India is pushing for. The reason is obvious.
An analyst recently wrote in Quora (India), “India should seek for a defence agreement with Bangladesh that can allow transport of troops and military logistics to the Northeast Indian states through the transit corridor over Bangladesh soil” for ensuring the security of India’s Northeast states – a hub of insurgencies raging for decades for their independence from India. The various militant groups reportedly with external support are a constant threat to the Indian government. In the event of any escalation of the insurgency, it is natural that India would invoke the proposed defence pact to transport troops and arms through the transit corridor. This will no doubt endanger security and sovereignty of Bangladesh provoking the insurgents to trespass into Bangladesh territory. Given the urgency of the defence pact for India for transporting troops and arms through the available transit corridor, analysts have warned that India may even apply a stick and carrot policy to achieve its objectives.
This is not a mere fiction. Such a policy has succeeded in case with Nepal and Bhutan as well. It is no secret how New Delhi had orchestrated the fall of K P Oli government in Kathmandu for its open pro-Beijing stance and the Thinely government in Bhutan was overthrown for attempting to develop diplomatic relations with China. Delhi also allegedly orchestrated the fall of strongman Rajapaksa in Sri Lanka for his closer ties with China.
Why this defence pact?
Besides, Indian attempts to create trouble in Tibet in China and promoting Dalai Lama and his government in exile in India is a cause of long term concern for China. Delhi knows it and deliberately does it. Also there is long border dispute between India and China. In case of a flaring up of any of these disputes, India will invoke the defence pact with Bangladesh in a bid to protect its Northern Indian states to the annoyance of Beijing.
Quora (India) further suggested that India should also seek a trade and import corridor through Bangladesh plains which is less risky than the treacherous mountain route of Shilliguri Corridor that takes more than a day to reach remote Northeast Indian states. It will also facilitate quick movement of people to the mainland. According to the Indian media reports, Delhi wants to have a 25-year agreement on defence cooperation with Bangladesh but Dhaka still appears sceptical about such a long time frame. Sources suggest Dhaka may agree to sign a MoU, which would be less formal with no time frame.
Informed sources say, another factor why India wants to push for this defence deal is because China has emerged as a major supplier of arms to the Bangladesh Army and is also a destination for its officers to receive training. The recent purchase of submarines from China by Bangladesh has caused deep concern in New Delhi. Strategists in India are questioning why Bangladesh needed submarines as it is surrounded by India on three sides and it has already settled its maritime disputes with— Myanmar and India through international arbitration in 2012 and 2014, respectively.
Defending the defence pact
India is apprehensive that China is trying to encircle it by influencing its neighbours. China upgrading its relationship with Bangladesh during Xi Jinping’s visit in 2016 is seen as an evidence of the same. Bangladeshi diplomats however, say that Indian military hardware is not competitive and the recent examples are Myanmar and Nepal.
This is being touted as the reason why Bangladesh does not want to get into a long term defence pact with India when Chinese military equipments are better, cheaper and easy to use. In view of strong opposition at home against the India-proposed defence pact with India, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is unlikely to push the country’s armed forces toward this. Sources say, on questions of defence, she is likely to go by advice that military provides. India has been a traditional ally of successive Awami League governments, Hasina has addressed the entire gamut of Indian security and connectivity including pushing insurgents and allowing transit corridor to reach troubled Northeast states. It is now payback time for India.
During her upcoming visit to Delhi, Hasina needs to show some positive returns from India to the people for her pro-Indian policy, including sharing of Teesta waters and of other common rivers, stoppage of the continuous killings of unarmed civilians by the Indian border guards along the border.
Interestingly, while Hasina does not seem to want to upset the army by entering into a 25-year defence treaty with India or for that matter any country, she also would not like to upset New Delhi before the national election due in January 2019. It will be a quite difficult task for her to choose the right course.
http://www.weeklyholiday.net/Homepage/Pages/UserHome.aspx
Dhaka-Delhi defence pact? No, thanks
Compromising on national security is no less disgusting, harmful and dangerous than allowing one’s spouse to flirt with a common friend of opposite sex. The ultimate outcome in both the instances is tearful eyes and fearful lives.
Nightmares still revisit when Bangladeshis are reminded of the 1972 Treaty of Friendship with India, and, despite the elapse of that 25 year treaty in 1997, Bangladesh-India defence cooperation has been excellent; thanks to the AL-led regime’s bolder moves to handover Indian rebel leaders to Delhi; blank approval of transit facilities to Indian heavy vehicles through Bangladesh against assessed incapability of Bangladesh’s road infrastructure; as well as allowing of over 20 major Indian corporations and business entities to market Indian products inside Bangladesh without facing reasonable restrictions.
Candy for toddler
Besides, allowing dozens of Indian electronic media to poison the mindset and adversely proselytize our people inside every Bangladeshi bed and living room, while none of the Bangladeshi channels could have entry inside India due to heavy premiums imposed, is a decision went sour and awry with our custom and tradition. People are resentful of such cultural aggressions.
As people and voter don’t matter anymore, Dhaka has given, and still giving, anything Delhi asks for. What Delhi gave in return is not reckoned, which is as insignificant as the mother’s doling of a candy to a crying toddler. Indian export to Bangladesh already hitting US$7 billion mark in recent years, export of Bangladeshi goods to India remains blocked by a variety of tariff and non-tariff barriers, enabling Dhaka only to export goods worth about $395 million at the most.
Besides, mutual water sharing treaties, especially the Tista treaty, are being delayed by Delhi on many excuses while killings at the border by Indian forces remain harrowingly alive and hardly reduced. If Bangladesh had exported goods worth about $39.71 billion from July 2015 to June 2016, what percentage of it went to India is a question that boggles the mind of every Bangladeshi citizen. But Delhi hardly cares, and Dhaka always sucks up in muddle-up.
The proposed defence cooperation pact with Bangladesh is the latest in India’s wish-list, but not the last; following Dhaka conceding over the years to grant transit to India through Akhaura-Agartala, Khulna-Kolkata, and to the Bangladeshi ports of Ashugonj, Mongla and Chittagong; the latter via a bridge being constructed near Feni to connect southern Tripura of India. The Feni-Chittagong axis stretches to Myanmar and, is globally renowned as a theatre of major wars; on which Allied forces too fought with the Japanese during the Second World War.
Credit touted as investment
That Delhi had always treated Dhaka as a baby is no secret, perhaps due to the nanny role it played in the creation of Bangladesh in 1971, and the AL is the party that did and does anything for India, often at the cost of national interest. Since 2009, India had injected over $3 billion worth of credit in different projects of its liking inside Bangladesh and, is mulling the infusion of another $11 billion by 2018. Simply put, the projects being pursued with Bangladesh by India are designed to help India overcome its geopolitical and economic handicaps. None of them can be likened to the typical FDI that Bangladesh and other nations get from international investments.
For instance, to allow heavy Indian vehicles to ply through Bangladesh to the Indian northeast, a promise has been made to loan $750 million. A study of about 12 such proposals made by Delhi from 2009-2016 shows the government of India, as well as its corporations, are willing to tie up Bangladesh with billions of dollars of loans and credits, which, under international investment laws, could hurt Bangladesh’s credit ratings at a time when it wishes to climb above the under-developed threshold by 2021; unbeknownst that one of the major yardsticks to assess a country’s economic status is to measure its debt-GDP ratio.
Another typical example is: in 2014, Delhi extended a $1 billion soft loan for infrastructure development and another $1 billion for the Padma Bridge, of which $862 million was preconditioned to buying equipment and services from Indian companies.
Energy loops
Another major Indian foray inside the Bangladesh economy has been in the field of energy cooperation, especially to build coal-based power plant within 14 miles radius of a global heritage site in Khulna; something Delhi failed to implement within its own country due to court-imposed restrictions. Credit is also given to projects that will export electricity to Bangladesh from its north-eastern region while Bangladesh’s request to have access to Nepal’s and Bhutan’s power through India dangles for years in a limbo.
In hindsight, it was unwise and anti-national for Dhaka to allow India to transfer hydroelectricity from Assam to Bihar through Bangladesh territory while Dhaka’s proposal for an integrated regional ‘power corridor’ was not entertained by Delhi with equal sincerity and reciprocity.
Dubious defence pact
Now Delhi wants a comprehensive defence cooperation agreement despite the two countries already having excellent cooperation in the field. Since 2009, India has been holding direct Army-to-Army staff talks with Bangladesh; something it usually does with the US, UK, Israel, France, Japan, Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. The two forces also hold a routine joint exercise codenamed ‘sampriti’; the sixth run of which took place lately in Tangail.
These war games are a mockery. For, in so far as defence collaborations are concerned, India belongs to the broader western alliance; not Asia where China, Russia, Iran, Pakistan and Turkey want to reduce aggressive western hegemony and military interventions. Bangladesh’s existing foreign policy also runs contrary to signing such a pact with India.
Yet, in November 2016, Delhi dispatched its defence minister, Manohar Parrikar, to Dhaka with a draft copy of the proposed pact which Dhaka studied with hushed resolve and sweating composure. Then came the delivery of the two Chinese submarines and the Indian expressed concerns over Bangladesh strengthening its armed forces in number and capabilities.
Let’s warn that, Delhi’s latest attempt to have Dhaka sign a comprehensive, 25-year agreement on defence cooperation is based on similar geopolitical and economic considerations which are always against the sovereign interest of Bangladesh. Delhi wants Dhaka to take a loan of $ 500 million and buy Indian-arms and electronic gadgets, commit to undergo an interoperability regime of the two armed forces, and consider an attack on each as the one on the other too. Does that mean Bangladesh will fight China if India and China start shooting each other? No way.
Instead, $500 million could be better spent on paving Bangladesh’s river banks to save people from river erosions, given that the defence cooperation, as it is, already entails much better recipes to keep Bangladesh equidistant from Beijing, Delhi and Washington to facilitate its move toward ridding the nation of extreme poverty and becoming a developed nation sooner than expected.
Lesson from Sri Lanka
Time is also ripe to assess India’s policy patterns with microscopic precision. A major problem with India is its proven reluctance to investing in any Muslim predominant country, although its desire to use that country as a market is quite visible. Inside Bangladesh, over 80 per cent of heavy vehicles, and over 70 per cent of smaller three-wheelers, are imported from India by a business cabal that also leads the country’s business organizations and outfits. Yet, Indian companies are not willing to invest inside Bangladesh in joint ventures to produce such vehicles, which could employ thousands of Bangladeshi workers. Curiously, Indian companies are willing to extend credits for handpicked projects suiting their customized needs.
Sri Lanka tried in 2013 to fend off one of such Indian forays in dumping low quality automobiles into its market by India and stopped the nuisance by imposing increased import duty from 120-291% to 200-350% on cars; from 51-61% to 100% on three-wheelers; and from 61% to 100% on scooters and motorcycles; besides clamping huge excise duty on import of all automobiles. Resultantly, during April-December 2013, India’s automobile exports to Sri Lanka dropped to $357 million from $1 billion in 2011-12. This led to aggressive marketing of Indian automakers inside Bangladesh.
Death of local industries
Another ignored fact is that: over 90 per cent of road collusions occurring in Bangladesh—on an average six per day, with dozens of deaths and injuries—are caused by Indian-made vehicles. This is something Bangladeshi policy makers must look into soon.
Above all, Bangladesh’s budding local industries are facing intensive competition due to market penetration by Indian Reliance Industries, the Tata Group, Ashok Leyland, Hero MotoCorp, Airtel, Marico, Godrej, VIP Industries, Ceat Tyres, Ambattur Clothing, Sahara, Liamp, and others. It’s painful to see local TV ads inside Bangladesh gleefully sporting Indian product advertisements, including of TATA tea, as if Bangladeshis have been tea- thirsty for ages. Our local tea industries will die sooner if this trend is not trapped, draped and chucked out of our national frontier.
The very fact that PM Sheikh Hasina’s proposed visit to Delhi had to be postponed twice since December 2016 has much to do with what the Bangladesh armed forces want her do with respect to signing any military deal with India. Sources say the draft deal with India collides with a comprehensive defence collaboration agreement Dhaka had inked with Beijing.
Although none knows precisely what that pact entails, Bangladesh had depended on China for over 80 per cent of its military hardware needs since the mid-1970s. Besides, China and Bangladesh signed an unprecedented development financing deals worth US$25 billion during President Xi Jinping’s visit to Dhaka in November 2016. This huge investment alone will raise the country’s GDP by 3 per cent when implemented. From that context, it’s time to assess and decide whether the nation’s future is more tied up with Delhi, or Beijing. Both are our tested friends and shall remain so. But no defence pact, please.
http://www.weeklyholiday.net/Homepage/Pages/UserHome.aspx?ID=2&date=03/17/2017
Compromising on national security is no less disgusting, harmful and dangerous than allowing one’s spouse to flirt with a common friend of opposite sex. The ultimate outcome in both the instances is tearful eyes and fearful lives.
Nightmares still revisit when Bangladeshis are reminded of the 1972 Treaty of Friendship with India, and, despite the elapse of that 25 year treaty in 1997, Bangladesh-India defence cooperation has been excellent; thanks to the AL-led regime’s bolder moves to handover Indian rebel leaders to Delhi; blank approval of transit facilities to Indian heavy vehicles through Bangladesh against assessed incapability of Bangladesh’s road infrastructure; as well as allowing of over 20 major Indian corporations and business entities to market Indian products inside Bangladesh without facing reasonable restrictions.
Candy for toddler
Besides, allowing dozens of Indian electronic media to poison the mindset and adversely proselytize our people inside every Bangladeshi bed and living room, while none of the Bangladeshi channels could have entry inside India due to heavy premiums imposed, is a decision went sour and awry with our custom and tradition. People are resentful of such cultural aggressions.
As people and voter don’t matter anymore, Dhaka has given, and still giving, anything Delhi asks for. What Delhi gave in return is not reckoned, which is as insignificant as the mother’s doling of a candy to a crying toddler. Indian export to Bangladesh already hitting US$7 billion mark in recent years, export of Bangladeshi goods to India remains blocked by a variety of tariff and non-tariff barriers, enabling Dhaka only to export goods worth about $395 million at the most.
Besides, mutual water sharing treaties, especially the Tista treaty, are being delayed by Delhi on many excuses while killings at the border by Indian forces remain harrowingly alive and hardly reduced. If Bangladesh had exported goods worth about $39.71 billion from July 2015 to June 2016, what percentage of it went to India is a question that boggles the mind of every Bangladeshi citizen. But Delhi hardly cares, and Dhaka always sucks up in muddle-up.
The proposed defence cooperation pact with Bangladesh is the latest in India’s wish-list, but not the last; following Dhaka conceding over the years to grant transit to India through Akhaura-Agartala, Khulna-Kolkata, and to the Bangladeshi ports of Ashugonj, Mongla and Chittagong; the latter via a bridge being constructed near Feni to connect southern Tripura of India. The Feni-Chittagong axis stretches to Myanmar and, is globally renowned as a theatre of major wars; on which Allied forces too fought with the Japanese during the Second World War.
Credit touted as investment
That Delhi had always treated Dhaka as a baby is no secret, perhaps due to the nanny role it played in the creation of Bangladesh in 1971, and the AL is the party that did and does anything for India, often at the cost of national interest. Since 2009, India had injected over $3 billion worth of credit in different projects of its liking inside Bangladesh and, is mulling the infusion of another $11 billion by 2018. Simply put, the projects being pursued with Bangladesh by India are designed to help India overcome its geopolitical and economic handicaps. None of them can be likened to the typical FDI that Bangladesh and other nations get from international investments.
For instance, to allow heavy Indian vehicles to ply through Bangladesh to the Indian northeast, a promise has been made to loan $750 million. A study of about 12 such proposals made by Delhi from 2009-2016 shows the government of India, as well as its corporations, are willing to tie up Bangladesh with billions of dollars of loans and credits, which, under international investment laws, could hurt Bangladesh’s credit ratings at a time when it wishes to climb above the under-developed threshold by 2021; unbeknownst that one of the major yardsticks to assess a country’s economic status is to measure its debt-GDP ratio.
Another typical example is: in 2014, Delhi extended a $1 billion soft loan for infrastructure development and another $1 billion for the Padma Bridge, of which $862 million was preconditioned to buying equipment and services from Indian companies.
Energy loops
Another major Indian foray inside the Bangladesh economy has been in the field of energy cooperation, especially to build coal-based power plant within 14 miles radius of a global heritage site in Khulna; something Delhi failed to implement within its own country due to court-imposed restrictions. Credit is also given to projects that will export electricity to Bangladesh from its north-eastern region while Bangladesh’s request to have access to Nepal’s and Bhutan’s power through India dangles for years in a limbo.
In hindsight, it was unwise and anti-national for Dhaka to allow India to transfer hydroelectricity from Assam to Bihar through Bangladesh territory while Dhaka’s proposal for an integrated regional ‘power corridor’ was not entertained by Delhi with equal sincerity and reciprocity.
Dubious defence pact
Now Delhi wants a comprehensive defence cooperation agreement despite the two countries already having excellent cooperation in the field. Since 2009, India has been holding direct Army-to-Army staff talks with Bangladesh; something it usually does with the US, UK, Israel, France, Japan, Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. The two forces also hold a routine joint exercise codenamed ‘sampriti’; the sixth run of which took place lately in Tangail.
These war games are a mockery. For, in so far as defence collaborations are concerned, India belongs to the broader western alliance; not Asia where China, Russia, Iran, Pakistan and Turkey want to reduce aggressive western hegemony and military interventions. Bangladesh’s existing foreign policy also runs contrary to signing such a pact with India.
Yet, in November 2016, Delhi dispatched its defence minister, Manohar Parrikar, to Dhaka with a draft copy of the proposed pact which Dhaka studied with hushed resolve and sweating composure. Then came the delivery of the two Chinese submarines and the Indian expressed concerns over Bangladesh strengthening its armed forces in number and capabilities.
Let’s warn that, Delhi’s latest attempt to have Dhaka sign a comprehensive, 25-year agreement on defence cooperation is based on similar geopolitical and economic considerations which are always against the sovereign interest of Bangladesh. Delhi wants Dhaka to take a loan of $ 500 million and buy Indian-arms and electronic gadgets, commit to undergo an interoperability regime of the two armed forces, and consider an attack on each as the one on the other too. Does that mean Bangladesh will fight China if India and China start shooting each other? No way.
Instead, $500 million could be better spent on paving Bangladesh’s river banks to save people from river erosions, given that the defence cooperation, as it is, already entails much better recipes to keep Bangladesh equidistant from Beijing, Delhi and Washington to facilitate its move toward ridding the nation of extreme poverty and becoming a developed nation sooner than expected.
Lesson from Sri Lanka
Time is also ripe to assess India’s policy patterns with microscopic precision. A major problem with India is its proven reluctance to investing in any Muslim predominant country, although its desire to use that country as a market is quite visible. Inside Bangladesh, over 80 per cent of heavy vehicles, and over 70 per cent of smaller three-wheelers, are imported from India by a business cabal that also leads the country’s business organizations and outfits. Yet, Indian companies are not willing to invest inside Bangladesh in joint ventures to produce such vehicles, which could employ thousands of Bangladeshi workers. Curiously, Indian companies are willing to extend credits for handpicked projects suiting their customized needs.
Sri Lanka tried in 2013 to fend off one of such Indian forays in dumping low quality automobiles into its market by India and stopped the nuisance by imposing increased import duty from 120-291% to 200-350% on cars; from 51-61% to 100% on three-wheelers; and from 61% to 100% on scooters and motorcycles; besides clamping huge excise duty on import of all automobiles. Resultantly, during April-December 2013, India’s automobile exports to Sri Lanka dropped to $357 million from $1 billion in 2011-12. This led to aggressive marketing of Indian automakers inside Bangladesh.
Death of local industries
Another ignored fact is that: over 90 per cent of road collusions occurring in Bangladesh—on an average six per day, with dozens of deaths and injuries—are caused by Indian-made vehicles. This is something Bangladeshi policy makers must look into soon.
Above all, Bangladesh’s budding local industries are facing intensive competition due to market penetration by Indian Reliance Industries, the Tata Group, Ashok Leyland, Hero MotoCorp, Airtel, Marico, Godrej, VIP Industries, Ceat Tyres, Ambattur Clothing, Sahara, Liamp, and others. It’s painful to see local TV ads inside Bangladesh gleefully sporting Indian product advertisements, including of TATA tea, as if Bangladeshis have been tea- thirsty for ages. Our local tea industries will die sooner if this trend is not trapped, draped and chucked out of our national frontier.
The very fact that PM Sheikh Hasina’s proposed visit to Delhi had to be postponed twice since December 2016 has much to do with what the Bangladesh armed forces want her do with respect to signing any military deal with India. Sources say the draft deal with India collides with a comprehensive defence collaboration agreement Dhaka had inked with Beijing.
Although none knows precisely what that pact entails, Bangladesh had depended on China for over 80 per cent of its military hardware needs since the mid-1970s. Besides, China and Bangladesh signed an unprecedented development financing deals worth US$25 billion during President Xi Jinping’s visit to Dhaka in November 2016. This huge investment alone will raise the country’s GDP by 3 per cent when implemented. From that context, it’s time to assess and decide whether the nation’s future is more tied up with Delhi, or Beijing. Both are our tested friends and shall remain so. But no defence pact, please.
http://www.weeklyholiday.net/Homepage/Pages/UserHome.aspx?ID=2&date=03/17/2017
Abu Zolfiqar
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Therein lies the comedy when the enemy compares Balochistan Province to Kashmiri dispute. Intellectually lazy, but a sign of desperation given the tough ground realities for endians in IOK
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