AL wants - an asian highway or a transit for India?

[Stumper]

Talpatti or new moore has clearly fallen well east of mid stream and therefore is Bangladesh territory.

It was you who claimed that Moore's island is YOUR territory. Fine with me, if you can show us that you had some administrative or military present there which was dislodged by India. Maybe you can re-read what i said.... its a dispute which will be solved once our maritime boundaries are finalized.

In same sentence indian tried to preach about 2 way highway but laid down only indian wish list and most of these wish list originate from pure hegemonic agenda has nothing to do with Bangladesh. Talking about indian deception in every breath indians take.

And your point is ?

 

[eastwatch]

DHAKA NEEDS $2.4b TO JOIN ASIAN HIGHWAY NETWORK
Urban rich to gain, farmers to lose; regional connectivity unlikely to reduce Bangladesh痴 poverty, says study
Khawaza Main Uddin

Dhaka needs an investment of $ 2.4 billion or Tk 16,800 crore for building infrastructures to effectively join the Asian Highway network although such connectivity is unlikely to lower relative poverty in Bangladesh, according to a regional study.

There is already a shortage of funds amounting to $413 million in absence of commitment from agencies for implementing projects for building connectivity to the proposed Asian Highway network, the study pointed out

Dhaka is yet to make any projection about how much financial benefits Bangladesh would gain in exchange for allowing transit through the Asian Highway.

Officials in the Planning Commission say the country would have to bear the cost of building necessary infrastructures, especially strengthening the national highway
system, to be connected with the Asian Highway.

The country痴 urban educated and wealthy households would gain most from the regional connectivity, says the study on 選nfrastructure for a Seamless Asia・ which forecasts a 0.11 per cent growth in gross domestic product for Bangladesh between 2010 and 2020.

Also the poorest groups, such as rural landless and urban illiterate people, are projected to experience slightly rising income but both small and large farmers will lose as a result of economic activities of due to increased connectivity.

腺y far the largest gains would accrue to the urban highly educated, the richest household groupings in Bangladesh. Thus the changes are unlikely to lower relative poverty (i.e., income inequality) in Bangladesh,・said the study.

As northeastern India and landlocked Nepal and Bhutan have to trade through India痴 narrow strip of land like a chicken neck, the joint study by the Asian Development Bank and its Tokyo-based institute has advocated use of Bangladesh territory as a corridor to reduce the cost of transportation of goods and commodities.

羨n appropriate solution to this issue is to build a corridor from this region to the Chittagong port of Bangladesh,・noted the study published as a book this month. It added that this would provide cost effective access for transporting goods to and from the landlocked region, including northeastern India, Bhutan, and Nepal.

As a result of investment in infrastructures for enhancing regional cooperation, the accumulated reduction in costs of trade is projected in a range of 10-13 per cent of value of trade for Bangladesh, 11-22 per cent for India, 1-13per cent for Pakistan and 6.5-11per cent for Sri Lanka.

Overall, Asia needs to invest approximately $8 trillion in national infrastructure between 2010 and 2020. In addition, Asia needs to spend approximately $290 billion on specific regional infrastructure projects in transport and energy that are in the pipeline.

The study termed financing for the projects a complicated issue as costs and benefits of a regional project are unevenly distributed. 前ne reason for the lack of progress in building a road link between Bangladesh and Nepal through India, for instance, is apparently that India believes that it would bear most of the costs but derive few of the benefits,・observed the study.

Only a transport corridor agreement, if it is signed for making the Asian Highway operational, can pave the way for receiving transit fees to be charged by Bangladesh for allowing use of its roads, said M Rahmatullah, transport sector consultant of the Planning Commission,

However, it is not yet clear whether Bangladesh will be able to use Indian territory for its trade with Pakistan, Myanmar, Nepal and Bhutan in case of joining the Asian highway Network.

Of the three proposed routes of the Asian Highway network, the least likely one that could have ensured third country entry for Bangladesh, apart from connectivity with India, is the Mongla-Jessore-Hatikamrul-Dhaka-Kachpur-Chittagong-Cox痴 Bazar-Teknaf-Myanmar border.

The study underlined the importance of comprehensive and transparent regulatory frameworks to implement regulations effectively, noting that Bangladesh and India have a bilateral inland waterways protocol, but its role has been hindered by a number of restrictions on the movement of vessels and by a lack of harmonised customs procedures and standards.

 

[Stumper]

DHAKA NEEDS $2.4b TO JOIN ASIAN HIGHWAY NETWORK
Urban rich to gain, farmers to lose; regional connectivity unlikely to reduce Bangladesh痴 poverty, says study
Khawaza Main Uddin

Dhaka needs an investment of $ 2.4 billion or Tk 16,800 crore for building infrastructures to effectively join the Asian Highway network although such connectivity is unlikely to lower relative poverty in Bangladesh, according to a regional study.
There is already a shortage of funds amounting to $413 million in absence of commitment from agencies for implementing projects for building connectivity to the proposed Asian Highway network, the study pointed out
Dhaka is yet to make any projection about how much financial benefits Bangladesh would gain in exchange for allowing transit through the Asian Highway.
Officials in the Planning Commission say the country would have to bear the cost of building necessary infrastructures, especially strengthening the national highway
system, to be connected
with the Asian Highway.
The country痴 urban educated and wealthy households would gain most from the regional connectivity, says the study on 選nfrastructure for a Seamless Asia・ which forecasts a 0.11 per cent growth in gross domestic product for Bangladesh between 2010 and 2020.
Also the poorest groups, such as rural landless and urban illiterate people, are projected to experience slightly rising income but both small and large farmers will lose as a result of economic activities of due to increased connectivity.
腺y far the largest gains would accrue to the urban highly educated, the richest household groupings in Bangladesh. Thus the changes are unlikely to lower relative poverty (i.e., income inequality) in Bangladesh,・said the study.
As northeastern India and landlocked Nepal and Bhutan have to trade through India痴 narrow strip of land like a chicken neck, the joint study by the Asian Development Bank and its Tokyo-based institute has advocated use of Bangladesh territory as a corridor to reduce the cost of transportation of goods and commodities.
羨n appropriate solution to this issue is to build a corridor from this region to the Chittagong port of Bangladesh,・noted the study published as a book this month. It added that this would provide cost effective access for transporting goods to and from the landlocked region, including northeastern India, Bhutan, and Nepal.
As a result of investment in infrastructures for enhancing regional cooperation, the accumulated reduction in costs of trade is projected in a range of 10-13 per cent of value of trade for Bangladesh, 11-22 per cent for India, 1-13per cent for Pakistan and 6.5-11per cent for Sri Lanka.
Overall, Asia needs to invest approximately $8 trillion in national infrastructure between 2010 and 2020. In addition, Asia needs to spend approximately $290 billion on specific regional infrastructure projects in transport and energy that are in the pipeline.
The study termed financing for the projects a complicated issue as costs and benefits of a regional project are unevenly distributed. 前ne reason for the lack of progress in building a road link between Bangladesh and Nepal through India, for instance, is apparently that India believes that it would bear most of the costs but derive few of the benefits,・observed the study.
Only a transport corridor agreement, if it is signed for making the Asian Highway operational, can pave the way for receiving transit fees to be charged by Bangladesh for allowing use of its roads, said M Rahmatullah, transport sector consultant of the Planning Commission,
However, it is not yet clear whether Bangladesh will be able to use Indian territory for its trade with Pakistan, Myanmar, Nepal and Bhutan in case of joining the Asian highway Network.
Of the three proposed routes of the Asian Highway network, the least likely one that could have ensured third country entry for Bangladesh, apart from connectivity with India, is the Mongla-Jessore-Hatikamrul-Dhaka-Kachpur-Chittagong-Cox痴 Bazar-Teknaf-Myanmar border.
The study underlined the importance of comprehensive and transparent regulatory frameworks to implement regulations effectively, noting that Bangladesh and India have a bilateral inland waterways protocol, but its role has been hindered by a number of restrictions on the movement of vessels and by a lack of harmonised customs procedures and standards.

A few things im not clear :
Whats your trade numbers with Pk, Bhutan and Nepal?
This 413 million is short of 2.4billlion mark? .. i guess that can be taken care by Gap funding.... or am i missing something here ?

 

[idune]

am i missing something here ?

Isn't it obvious, Bangladeshis dont want india to use asian highway and stooges to get transit, period.

And if one add the fact AIDS infested indian drivers passing through and spreading AIDS in Bangladesh, answer will be hell NO.

 

[idune]

Its just obvious that india has utterly failed to address the core cause behind Maoist insurgency and now start blaming negighbor like Bangladesh which is not even bordering Maoist infested indian state.

But more importantly, IF (as indian accused without any proof) Bangladesh has been used for weapons trade, why should Bangladesh facilitate it further by providing any transit to india??Transit will make Maoist would make even easier to transport weapons.

Is it another indian ploy to take control of Bangladesh highway in pretext of securing it?????

Bangladesh should ask that real critical question.

Maoists get arms from Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal: Chidambaram

Press Trust of India . New Delhi
Maoists are acquiring weapons through Bangladesh, Myanmar and possibly Nepal, according to the home minister, P Chidambaram, who nonetheless has expressed government’s willingness for a dialogue with them provide they abjure violence

http://www.newagebd.com/2009/oct/25/front.html#8

 

[TopCat]

Now...... Maoist!!!!!!!!
Give me a break. Why should BD provide arms to maoist?

 

[Stumper]

Its just obvious that india has utterly failed to address the core cause behind Maoist insurgency and now start blaming negighbor like Bangladesh which is not even bordering Maoist infested indian state.

But more importantly, IF (as indian accused without any proof) Bangladesh has been used for weapons trade, why should Bangladesh facilitate it further by providing any transit to india??Transit will make Maoist would make even easier to transport weapons.

Is it another indian ploy to take control of Bangladesh highway in pretext of securing it?????

Bangladesh should ask that real critical question.

Good and Thank You.. I long suspected Dyselexia might have effected this condition.

Iajdani: Its quite what he is referring to, that the weapons are coming across the porus border, nowhere is he blaming the Governments of any of this countries. As he clarified, support is maybe at the intellectual level.... Let me paste from same article :


‘We know now that the weapons are coming through Bangladesh and Myanmar and possibly Nepal. The border is very porous. The Indo-Nepal border is a very porous border.’ He said police has not found any weapons with Pakistani marking.

---------
Asked if there are any groups from abroad backing the Maoists, the minister said ‘I don’t know. It is possible that they get some intellectual support. I hear voices of some human rights group from abroad which say that we have unleashed a war on the Maoists. That is the intellectual support I am referring to.’

Regarding any evidence of external help to Maoists, Chidambaram said it may be at the level of intellectual or ideological level.

 

[Stumper]

Now...... Maoist!!!!!!!!
Give me a break. Why should BD provide arms to maoist?

None except some crazy nut have suggested so.... Chidu, has'nt accused you of such.

 

[eastwatch]

The news article below says how it has become a Burma-India 'Joint Conspiracy' to deprive BD a short route to southeast asia, and force it to provide 'Transition' to India, all in the name of asian highway.

http://newsfrombangladesh.net/view.php?hidRecord=293683

Asian Highway ESCAP route Dhaka becomes party
Chance of amendment slim: Yangon mum on Cox''s Bazar-Myanmar route
Monday November 16 2009 03:18:49 AM BDT

Bangladesh has become party to the ESCAP sponsored Asian Highway agreement. This was notified from the ESCAP headquarters in Bangkok. The ESCAP sponsored route kept Tamabil as the entry point and Benapole and Banglabandh as the exit points.()

Earlier Bangladesh was not a party to the ESCAP-sponsored Asian Highway agreement because of the controversy revolving round the route.

The ESCAP sponsored route would help meet the Indian demand for transit from Bangladesh and obliterate the historical Grand Trunk Road built during the Shershah regime to connect the East Asian countries from Gumdung of Cox''s Bazar.

Except the Awami League government no other governments accepted the ESCAP sponsored Asian Highway routes. The last four-party alliance government withheld the ratification of the ESCAP prepared agreement and pressed hard to include the Chittagong-Myanmar route as one of the international routes of the Asian Highway.

But on every occasion Bangladesh was told to become party to the ESCAP agreement by ratifying the same and thereafter put forward the amendment proposal. But such advice was not considered logical, because once the ESCAP sponsored route is accepted it would be hard to change.

The present regime, however, accepted the logic to become a party to the agreement and ratified the ESCAP sponsored Asian agreement in August last.

After becoming party to the agreement, officials concerned felt that an amendment proposal to the original agreement should be proposed to accept the Cox''s Bazar-Myanmar route as one of the international routes. But the file could not move as no directive so far was received from the political authorities. The communications ministry officials feared that the amendment proposal might be dropped as there was indication that India would oppose the amendment proposal.

The communications ministry officials also said that they did not receive any encouraging response from Myanmar regarding Bangladesh''s demand to include Cox''s Bazar-Myanmar route as one of the international routes of the Asian Highway.

The maritime boundary dispute with Yangon compounded the whole gamut of bi-lateral relations. Both Myanmar and India have taken a common stand against Bangladesh''s claim regarding maritime boundary.

Bangladesh has already approached the UN arbitration to find a logical solution to Bay boundary dispute with its two neighbours. Two Indian nationals would plead in favour of Yangon and Delhi, which would create a great problem for Bangladesh.

In such a situation concerned officials feel that Yangon might side with India and might not support Bangladesh demand for the amendment to the Asian Highway agreement.

A senior official of the communications ministry said that Myanmar did not respond to the RFP (request for proposal) sent to them for their concurrence to develop Gumdung-Bawalibazar road, which would be developed by Bangladesh at its own expense. The understanding of developing the Gumdung-Bawalibazar was reached during the last 4-party alliance government.

 

[idune]

"After becoming party to the agreement, officials concerned felt that an amendment proposal to the original agreement should be proposed to accept the Cox''s Bazar-Myanmar route as one of the international routes. But the file could not move as no directive so far was received from the political authorities. The communications ministry officials feared that the amendment proposal might be dropped as there was indication that India would oppose the amendment proposal."

Says it all about awami indian stooge govt.

 

[Stumper]

The news article below says how it has become a Burma-India 'Joint Conspiracy' to deprive BD a short route to southeast asia, and force it to provide 'Transition' to India, all in the name of asian highway.

Joint conspiracy ? Why not ask your government that question before accusing anyone else? .... its YOUR government that agreed to join. It had the option of not joining the network. If you feel, GoB acted against national interest by not ratifying, impeach, Hassina.

Now, if you are ready to listen, give me a ear.

GoB, really did not have a choice. ESCAP had clarified that some patch of the road (Cox-Myanmar) was missing and sub-standard. Myanmar also said it was not interested in putting in money in this route (they said it was too costly ).

Now for BD it was catch 22. Either not join the ESCAP-Highway or Join it and try for ammendment. Again, GoI somehow has played its card really well. India, for some strange reason is listed as a "effected party" in the Cox-Myanmar route. So for any ammendment to be proposed by BD, WOULD NEED acceptance from India and Myanmar.
And India would obviously not give away its advantage.

So, GoB has in reality two choices. Keep off the highway or Join & agree with the Tamabil route as proposed by ESCAP (Your Comm ministry is right... for your proposal to be even considered would need india and Myanmar's acceptance , which is not going to happen).

 

[idune]

Joint conspiracy ? Why not ask your government that question before accusing anyone else? .... its YOUR government that agreed to join. It had the option of not joining the network. If you feel, GoB acted against national interest by not ratifying, impeach, Hassina.

.

AHA, admission of Awami govt indian stooge act. And once work is done indians are so quick to leave awami stooges high and dry, in middle of no where. Should tell a lot of indians, more for the future of awami stooges today.

BUT one big drawback for indians. These deceptive indian acts leave india with no credebility among Bangladeshis. And for the young generation (older generation already witnessed) who are witnessing these indian interferences and deception will know india only as enemy.

GoB, really did not have a choice. ESCAP had clarified that some patch of the road (Cox-Myanmar) was missing and sub-standard. Myanmar also said it was not interested in putting in money in this route (they said it was too costly ).

Now for BD it was catch 22. Either not join the ESCAP-Highway or Join it and try for ammendment. Again, GoI somehow has played its card really well. India, for some strange reason is listed as a "effected party" in the Cox-Myanmar route. So for any ammendment to be proposed by BD, WOULD NEED acceptance from India and Myanmar.
And India would obviously not give away its advantage.

Actually GOB had choice, BD could choose not to join this so called "Asian highway". One of main reason to Asian highway was to connect with China and ASEAN countries. BD could and can easily do it through Myanmar without using awami accepted Asian highway route.

But offcourse awami govt spread indian deception to people, rather unsuccessfully. Pleople knows this ao call AH route is for granting india transit.

Now choices are tricker. India still does not have everything until Bangladesh grants transit right through highway. And that's where india cultivated stooges and using awami govt. And that's why Hasina taking indian prescription telling Bangladesh deceptive lie. That is one of the reason india instigating Myanmar confrontation with Bangladesh exploiting Myanmar isolated situation.

 

[ssheppard]

BR proposes 'best' rail route to Nepal

Dhaka, Nov 16 (bdnews24.com)—Bangladesh Railway has proposed "the most convenient" route for rail transit to Nepal, ahead of the prime minister's India visit, top officials have said.

They said if Dhaka could strike deals with Delhi and Katmandu on Chilahati-Haldibari as the transit point, on the Bangladesh-India border, it would be most convenient for rail passage of goods to Nepal.

India's Jogbani station on the Nepal border, is just 35 kilometres from Chilahati in Bangladesh. The station is also close to Bhutan.

On the other hand, the Rahanpur-Singhabad border point, which Bangladesh and India appear to have settled on as a likely transit point on their shared border, is more than 150 kilometres from Jogbani station, officials say.

Bangladesh Railway director general Md Belayet Hossain told bdnews24.com Monday that he would soon send a delegation to India for discussion on making Chilahati-Haldibari the cargo transit point and other outstanding railway issues.

"We have identified the transit point into (Chilahati-Haldibari) for the best rail route to Nepal, but it is up to the government to make a final decision," Hossain said.

He said Bangladesh will have to construct just eight kilometres of new broad gauge tracks while India would need to build three kilometres on its territory for the proposed route.

He said the Bangladesh Railway had broad gauge tracks up to the border with India there, but the link was removed some years ago.

"We have sent the proposal on Chilahati-Haldibari to the ministry (of communication) ahead of the prime minister's visit," Quazi Asadullah, the railway's additional director general, told bdnews24.com Monday at his office.

"We think this route is closest and most convenient," he said.

A mid-ranking railway official told bdnews24.com that Bangladesh must sign deal separate deals with India and Katmandu to introduce a new transit route.

Bangladesh and Nepal signed a transit deal in 1976 for boosting trade, but the agreement could not be implemented as India would not allow its territory to be used for passage at that time.

Dhaka later signed two separate deals with Delhi and Kathmandu for making Birol-Radhikapur the transit point into India for passage to Nepal.

But the two railway authorities could not run trains over the border there as Bangladesh railway had metre gauge tracks while India had broad gauge.

Indian railway authorities then put forward Rahanpur-Singhabad as Bangladesh's entry point, but Indian customs objected as the two countries had no transit agreement on the route.

During foreign minister Dipu Moni's Delhi visit in September, India offered to give Bangladesh transit facilities to Bhutan and Nepal.

Indian foreign secretary Nirupama Rao, during bilateral talks with Bangladeshi counterpart Mohamed Mijarul Quayes in Dhaka this week, proposed to give Bangladesh railway transit through three possible points to Nepal.

Birol-Radhikapur and Rahanpur-Singhabad were positively identified while a third unnamed route was still under consideration of the two countries.

BR proposes 'best' rail route to Nepal :: Bangladesh :: bdnews24.com ::

 

[ssheppard]

Bangladesh set to give India transit rights

Bangladesh is considering allowing New Delhi to use its territory to carry goods to the northeastern Indian state of Tripura as a test case, giving a positive nod to India's requests for transit, officials said.

Officials of the Foreign Affairs, Shipping and Communications Ministries said here they want to see how the decision would be implemented and how it could benefit both the neighbours, according to a news agency.

"We consider allowing India transit once as a test case and its result will decide the fate of other proposals floated earlier by New Delhi," said a senior official involved in the process.

Officials said once the decision of giving transit to India for heavy equipment through Ashuganj Port is made, Bangladesh would then move with other proposals for transit of various modes for the next-door neighbour. New Delhi in September agreed to provide Dhaka with connectivity to the land-locked Nepal and Bhutan in exchange for access to Bangladesh's Ashuganj port.

Dhaka, during a meeting between Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni, and her Indian counterpart SM Krishna in New Delhi on September 8, agreed to allow India to use the Bangladesh territory to carry heavy equipment for a power plant at Palatan in Tripura through the Ashuganj port and use the Akhaura-Agartala road.

The two countries are scheduled to sign a deal on India's access to the Ashuganj Port in May 2010.

The issue of transit will come up when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina holds talks with her Indian counterpart Dr Manmohan Singh in New Delhi later this year.

"As it did on other occasions, New Delhi will again ask Dhaka for connectivity to its north-eastern states through the Bangladesh territory," the source said.

As the country has decided to get connected to the Asian highway network, Bangladesh will request India to divert the route of the Asian Highway through the Aushtagram border, instead of connection through Myanmar.

Bangladesh does not have any arrangement or talks to have direct access to Myanmar to connect to the Asian highway, the source added.

The country has hardly any scope to directly enter Myanmar if and when Dhaka joins the Asian Highway Network in keeping with its already identified and primarily agreed routes connecting India from both sides of the Bangladesh territory.

The three proposed Asian highway network routes are Benapole to Tamabil via Jessore, Dhaka, Kachpur and Sylhet; Banglabandha to Tamabil via Hatikumrul, Dhaka, Kachpur and Sylhet; and Mongla to Myanmar via Jessore, Hatikumrul, Dhaka, Kachpur, Chittagong, Cox's Bazar and Teknaf.

Asked whether the government will accept India's proposal for infrastructure development for the transit, an official said, without any elaboration, that New Delhi had expressed its willingness to develop Bangladesh's transport network.

The official said, (Indian authorities) have not made any offer of financial packages of benefits when they offered to invest in building the required infrastructures.

New Delhi has for long been pressing for a transit route through the Bangladesh territory to carry goods from one part of India to another and has offered to invest in transport infrastructures in Bangladesh.

Foreign policy experts, however, feel that allowing India to build infrastructure in Bangladesh for transit might invite New Delhi's unwarranted control over the transport system here and suggest the country should rather mobilise its own resources to invest in road, railway and port development.

The New Nation - Internet Edition

 

[eastwatch]

Bangladesh set to give India transit rights

Yes, it is a temporary transit to facilitate the shipping of heavy machineries for a coal-fired (?) thermal power plant project in Tripura through the sea and rivers of BD.