Menon discusses security situation with Bangla leadership

[BanglaBhoot]

Dhaka, Apr 13 (PTI) In the first high-level contact between the two countries after the February 25 BDR mutiny here, India and Bangladesh today discussed security scenario in the region and reviewed bilateral relations, including Dhaka's claim over a under-construction dam in Assam.

Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon, who arrived here last night on an unannounced visit, held wide-ranging discussions with his counterpart Mohammad Touhid Hossain and Army Chief General Moin U Ahmed and called on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister Dipu Moni.

"Security was one of issues we discussed, we discussed it in all the conversations and how important it is for both Bangladesh and India," Menon told reporters.

"We feel that many of the issues that we might have had difficulties in the past are now coming right to a situation where we can move forward," he said, adding that he was "very satisfied" with the quality of the discussion which reflects "the quality of the friendship".

Hossain said his Indian counterpart came to Bangladesh as New Delhi thought "they should prepare the ground for resolving outstanding bilateral issues" for the next Government in India.

During the talks, Menon proposed that a teal from Bangladesh could visit the proposed Tipaimukh Dam site as Dhaka expressed concern over it.

Menon discusses security situation with Bangla leadership

 

[TopCat]

Menon came as a surprised visit. India is giving too much attention to Bangladesh these days. None of our high official yet to visit India but they are sending too many people already.

 

[BanglaBhoot]

Menon came as a surprised visit. India is giving too much attention to Bangladesh these days. None of our high official yet to visit India but they are sending too many people already.

Yes extremely suspicious. No?

 

[idune]

This secret trip by indian foreign secretary is like one of the Bagdad style secret trip where US officials often features to do their dirty invaders business.

Now question is if Indians already smelling their own banana republic? Perhaps people who are cheering for invincible Indo Awami cahoots can answer better for rest of us. That is offcourse if they are not high on secular dope and busy featuring hindi movie in their TV set.

But there is one striking stop in indian foreign secretary secret trip that was AT-A-Boy moments with Bangladesh army Chief Moeen U Ahmed. Was that an official indian pat on back to Moeen for job well done (on his part) in execution of Peelkhana massacre. Or brief for next assignments? Even if rests of Bangladesh army generals don’t care, widows and orphan children of those 50 some officers would sure like to know. Hope our overly “intelligent” and “intellectual” chief knows history - collaborators usually don’t have a happy ending. Mir Zafar did not have one, Ahmed Chalabi did not have one and word has it Kharzi is not going to have one soon.

Or should we brace ourselves for next installment of terror? Terror that can be a direct one or through different indirect means. It might have lost in intricate details of diplomatic lingo but drive to obtain a forced consent for Tipaimukh Dam from Bangladesh is well under way; at least that much announced. Sounds like old tape - Farraka were not going to do any harm to Bangladesh, playing all over again. And Awami league PM Hasina like her father all charmed by the old indian tune.

In wider angle, net has been cast form Jumuna bridge access to Mongla port to CTG port to terror boogey man. We just have to wait for those shot and effects to appear near us.

 

[BanglaBhoot]

Dhaka asked to send team to visit Tipaimukh Dam

Indian foreign secy ends 'surprise' visit; meets Dipu Moni

India yesterday invited a Bangladeshi delegation to see the construction of the planned Tipaimukh Dam on the River Barak, which environmentalists fear will eventually dry up the Meghna River in the greater Sylhet region.

The invitation came at a meeting between Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni and visiting Indian Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon.

Menon came to Dhaka on a surprise visit on Sunday night, and met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Army Chief Gen Moeen U Ahmed.

Both the Indian high commission and Bangladesh foreign ministry maintained secrecy about his visit, leaving the local media totally in the dark, which led to widespread speculation in the diplomatic circle.

"I thought you knew it, as the media knows ahead of us," a smiling Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Touhid Hossain told reporters.

Menon said he had no specific agenda of discussion.

Asked about his surprise visit, the Indian foreign secretary said, "We meet regularly. We don't have a set schedule. We meet whenever we feel. We feel that many of the issues that we might have had difficulties with in the past are now coming right to a situation where we can move forward."

Foreign ministry sources said this is for the first time an Indian foreign secretary came to Bangladesh without prior announcement and in such a short notice.

The diplomatic circle in Dhaka also expressed their astonishment, as they knew nothing in advance about such a high profile visit. Not only the media, officials in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and the foreign ministry were also unaware of Menon's possible visit, the sources said.

An official of the foreign ministry wishing anonymity told The Daily Star that there was a violation of protocol. According to the protocol, the Indian foreign secretary should have held official talks with his counterpart first before making courtesy calls on the foreign minister and the PM.

"This time the protocol was violated as the Indian foreign minister was allowed to meet the prime minister first, and then the army chief," said the official.

When contacted, a spokesman of the Indian High Commission termed Menon's visit a regular one, saying they usually do not make public announcements if anyone comes from India. "It is rather on the host to announce the arrivals of such foreign dignitaries," he added.

At the meeting with Menon, Dipu Moni expressed Dhaka's concerns about the controversial project, lest it eats up Bangladesh's due share of the international River Meghna, which supplies water to hundreds of water bodies in the region.

"They are trying to remove our concerns about the Tipaimukh Dam. He told me that Bangladesh should send a delegation comprising technical and political people to see the project firsthand," Touhid Hossain told reporters following his meeting with Menon.

He said through the proper forum Bangladesh will take a decision regarding the invitation.

"On water, for instance, there were some concerns expressed and I said we would be very happy to receive a delegation from Bangladesh, to show them exactly what is happening, what we planned," Menon told reporters after he met Dipu Moni, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Hasan Mahmud, and the foreign secretary.

"What we planned is a river project which will not affect the down stream flow at all," Menon said adding, "This is a part of the on going dialogue between friends, between neighbours, it is natural, we will keep discussing the issues finding ways forward."

He said security was also one of the issues he discussed with Dipu Moni. "We discussed it in all the conversations, about how important it is for both Bangladesh and India. And this is something that is in our common interest, that we eliminate terrorism from our region, and that we do this together. So, we will continue to work together in that direction."

The Indian foreign secretary left Dhaka last night.

India in 2003 initiated the move to construct a dam over the cross-boundary River Barak which enters Bangladesh through Sylhet region ultimately meeting the Meghna. It started the construction work by the end of last year without consulting Bangladesh.

The Daily Star - Details News

 

[Stumper]

This secret trip by indian foreign secretary is like one of the Bagdad style secret trip where US officials often features to do their dirty invaders business.

Don't honor BD and the Indian minister. There is nothing worth invading here.

Or should we brace ourselves for next installment of terror?

Please do. You deserve no better. You don't want to go out and protest against this souls whom you claim are selling you out. Your tribe is not questioning the Government or your Army. Your intelligence units have not being taken to task for it's failure to detect the culprit's.

No sir. You possibly wont do that. Why should you.... An easy answer is always the best one, ain't it? . Who the heck needs a honest assessment.

Sherlock Holmes in a fairyland.

 

[Al-zakir]

Indian foreign secy ends 'surprise' visit; meets Dipu Moni.



The diplomatic circle in Dhaka also expressed their astonishment, as they knew nothing in advance

Tuesday April 14 2009 00:35:01 AM BDT

An official of the foreign ministry wishing anonymity told The Daily Star that there was a violation of protocol. According to the protocol, the Indian foreign secretary should have held official talks with his counterpart first before making courtesy calls on the foreign minister and the PM.Not only the media, officials in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and the foreign ministry were also unaware of Menon's possible visit, the sources said.(The Daily Star )

Dhaka asked to send team to visit Tipaimukh Dam

India yesterday invited a Bangladeshi delegation to see the construction of the planned Tipaimukh Dam on the River Barak, which environmentalists fear will eventually dry up the Meghna River in the greater Sylhet region.


The invitation came at a meeting between Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni and visiting Indian Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon.

Menon came to Dhaka on a surprise visit on Sunday night, and met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Army Chief Gen Moeen U Ahmed.

Both the Indian high commission and Bangladesh foreign ministry maintained secrecy about his visit, leaving the local media totally in the dark, which led to widespread speculation in the diplomatic circle.

"I thought you knew it, as the media knows ahead of us," a smiling Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Touhid Hossain told reporters.

Menon said he had no specific agenda of discussion.

Asked about his surprise visit, the Indian foreign secretary said, "We meet regularly. We don't have a set schedule. We meet whenever we feel. We feel that many of the issues that we might have had difficulties with in the past are now coming right to a situation where we can move forward."

Foreign ministry sources said this is for the first time an Indian foreign secretary came to Bangladesh without prior announcement and in such a short notice.

The diplomatic circle in Dhaka also expressed their astonishment, as they knew nothing in advance about such a high profile visit. Not only the media, officials in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and the foreign ministry were also unaware of Menon's possible visit, the sources said.

An official of the foreign ministry wishing anonymity told The Daily Star that there was a violation of protocol. According to the protocol, the Indian foreign secretary should have held official talks with his counterpart first before making courtesy calls on the foreign minister and the PM.

"This time the protocol was violated as the Indian foreign minister was allowed to meet the prime minister first, and then the army chief," said the official.

When contacted, a spokesman of the Indian High Commission termed Menon's visit a regular one, saying they usually do not make public announcements if anyone comes from India. "It is rather on the host to announce the arrivals of such foreign dignitaries," he added.

At the meeting with Menon, Dipu Moni expressed Dhaka's concerns about the controversial project, lest it eats up Bangladesh's due share of the international River Meghna, which supplies water to hundreds of water bodies in the region.

"They are trying to remove our concerns about the Tipaimukh Dam. He told me that Bangladesh should send a delegation comprising technical and political people to see the project firsthand," Touhid Hossain told reporters following his meeting with Menon.

He said through the proper forum Bangladesh will take a decision regarding the invitation.

"On water, for instance, there were some concerns expressed and I said we would be very happy to receive a delegation from Bangladesh, to show them exactly what is happening, what we planned," Menon told reporters after he met Dipu Moni, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Hasan Mahmud, and the foreign secretary.

"What we planned is a river project which will not affect the down stream flow at all," Menon said adding, "This is a part of the on going dialogue between friends, between neighbours, it is natural, we will keep discussing the issues finding ways forward."

He said security was also one of the issues he discussed with Dipu Moni. "We discussed it in all the conversations, about how important it is for both Bangladesh and India. And this is something that is in our common interest, that we eliminate terrorism from our region, and that we do this together. So, we will continue to work together in that direction."

The Indian foreign secretary left Dhaka last night.

India in 2003 initiated the move to construct a dam over the cross-boundary River Barak which enters Bangladesh through Sylhet region ultimately meeting the Meghna. It started the construction work by the end of last year without consulting Bangladesh.

So are we still sovereign country or La-Hasina already sold us to India????

http://newsfrombangladesh.net/view.php?hidRecord=257964

 

[toxic_pus]

So are we still sovereign country or La-Hasina already sold us to India????

Don't think that we would accept BD even if it is given for free. Who in right frame of mind wants to invite a disease.

 

[M_Saint]

Who in right frame of mind wants to invite a disease.

But you created this disease in the first place by invading East PAK in 71, didn't you?

 

[toxic_pus]

But you created this disease in the first place by invading East PAK in 71, didn't you?

Nope. We provided a medicine to an already existing disease.

Unfortunately the tumor grew back.

 

[Jako]

Please,stop throwing mud at each other,and continue a healthy debate.......... Btw taking the geographical location of the two countries,this is a good initiative taken by india,and bd should support and move on with further improvement of relationship with india.........and yes,this is anything but suspicious ,mr munshi....this was always coming with the AL in power....thnx

 

[BanglaBhoot]

Please,stop throwing mud at each other,and continue a healthy debate.......... Btw taking the geographical location of the two countries,this is a good initiative taken by india,and bd should support and move on with further improvement of relationship with india.........and yes,this is anything but suspicious ,mr munshi....this was always coming with the AL in power....thnx

Probably this is the worst government Bangladesh has had since Sheikh Mujib and if it had not been for the rigging there is no way that the AL could have got such a large majority. The obvious evidence that there was rigging was that difference in numbers on the voter ID and the ballot papers. Also as Ershad mentioned if it was not for 1/11 takeover the AL would have actually lost the elections.

 

[TopCat]

I am closely watching, Nurul Islam Nahid(Education Minister), Mr. Muhit (Finance) and Hasina. They really took some big projects like revival of Mass literacy program, Power generation, Urban transport, highwawys, deep sea port. These are my dream project and I will even ride a devil to get them done. If AL could do those I have no problem dealing with them and stay focused. I really love to see 90% literacy by 2017 even Nahid is saying 100%

 

[ANDUBYLL]

Well, the only thing that can be discussed between India and Bangladesh is the terror units that still exist in Bangladesh.
There are still units like HUJI and ULFA operating out of Bangladesh soil and Shivshankar Menons visit would have been to gently prod the AL to not become complacent in fighting terror.
There has been an increase of ULFA presence in Assam recently and Indians would like to see it die out naturally in India and through the Bangladesh governments support

 

[TopCat]

Well, the only thing that can be discussed between India and Bangladesh is the terror units that still exist in Bangladesh.
There are still units like HUJI and ULFA operating out of Bangladesh soil and Shivshankar Menons visit would have been to gently prod the AL to not become complacent in fighting terror.
There has been an increase of ULFA presence in Assam recently and Indians would like to see it die out naturally in India and through the Bangladesh governments support

Huh ULFA not going to die out naturally. I just saw Maoist killed 10 policemen the other day. Did they die out?
Even if you we just take BD to somewhere else, ULFA will remain in India.. They are real hard AaaSS.
HUJI is our problem and we are dealing with them. What HUJI has to do with India? Do they have operation in India?