Bangladesh opposition wants good ties with India: Khaleda Zia

[EjazR]

Bangladesh opposition wants good ties with India: Khaleda Zia - South Asia - World - The Times of India

DHAKA: Weeks after attacking the government for "selling out" to India, Bangladesh's main opposition party BNP has said it too wanted good relations with New Delhi in a manner that would "benefit both countries".

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chief Khaleda Zia said this as she met the newly appointed Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Rajeet Mitter, who called on her on Sunday evening.

"We want to build the bilateral ties in manner which can benefit both the countries," Zia was quoted as having told Mitter by a BNP spokesman after the envoy had nearly hour-long talks with her at her Gulshan office on Sunday night.

The spokesman said Zia assured Mitter of extending all cooperation during his stay in Bangladesh.

The opposition leader's comments came after she had a heated exchange with the government following Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to New Delhi last month.

The BNP had said that Hasina has "sold out" the country by signing three agreements and two protocols with India that they claimed comprised national interest.

Zia also expressed apprehension that her archrival had reached a "secret deal" during her maiden New Delhi visit.

Hasina dismissed the allegations in the parliament, saying: "the question of signing any secret deal doesn't arise at all (and) if the opposition knows anything about it, let them make it public".

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The first statement of its kind. Maybe BNP has finally realized that there is major Bangladeshi public opinion for having good ties with India.

 

[manglasiva]

Good move.....

 

[eastwatch]

Bangladesh opposition wants good ties with India: Khaleda Zia - South Asia - World - The Times of India

DHAKA: Weeks after attacking the government for "selling out" to India, Bangladesh's main opposition party BNP has said it too wanted good relations with New Delhi in a manner that would "benefit both countries".

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chief Khaleda Zia said this as she met the newly appointed Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Rajeet Mitter, who called on her on Sunday evening.

"We want to build the bilateral ties in manner which can benefit both the countries," Zia was quoted as having told Mitter by a BNP spokesman after the envoy had nearly hour-long talks with her at her Gulshan office on Sunday night.

The spokesman said Zia assured Mitter of extending all cooperation during his stay in Bangladesh.

The opposition leader's comments came after she had a heated exchange with the government following Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to New Delhi last month.

The BNP had said that Hasina has "sold out" the country by signing three agreements and two protocols with India that they claimed comprised national interest.

Zia also expressed apprehension that her archrival had reached a "secret deal" during her maiden New Delhi visit.

Hasina dismissed the allegations in the parliament, saying: "the question of signing any secret deal doesn't arise at all (and) if the opposition knows anything about it, let them make it public".

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The first statement of its kind. Maybe BNP has finally realized that there is major Bangladeshi public opinion for having good ties with India.

It is all political talks. All the political parties of BD want good relationship with India, this is the truth. If SH wants to sell out her country, then KZ herself was not far behind. During the BNP rule India exported more goods to BD and the trade balance went far above the normal.

KZ and her BNP did not develop the agriculture, and instead, sold out her country's interest by importing more than $500 million worth of foodstuffs from India.

So, why is KZ playing with this selling out blame when she herself did it more than her rival?

 

[dmt111]

really?

 

[garibnawaz]

Bangladesh opposition wants good ties with India: Khaleda Zia - South Asia - World - The Times of India

DHAKA: Weeks after attacking the government for "selling out" to India, Bangladesh's main opposition party BNP has said it too wanted good relations with New Delhi in a manner that would "benefit both countries".

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chief Khaleda Zia said this as she met the newly appointed Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Rajeet Mitter, who called on her on Sunday evening.

"We want to build the bilateral ties in manner which can benefit both the countries," Zia was quoted as having told Mitter by a BNP spokesman after the envoy had nearly hour-long talks with her at her Gulshan office on Sunday night.

The spokesman said Zia assured Mitter of extending all cooperation during his stay in Bangladesh.

The opposition leader's comments came after she had a heated exchange with the government following Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to New Delhi last month.

The BNP had said that Hasina has "sold out" the country by signing three agreements and two protocols with India that they claimed comprised national interest.

Zia also expressed apprehension that her archrival had reached a "secret deal" during her maiden New Delhi visit.

Hasina dismissed the allegations in the parliament, saying: "the question of signing any secret deal doesn't arise at all (and) if the opposition knows anything about it, let them make it public".

--------------

The first statement of its kind. Maybe BNP has finally realized that there is major Bangladeshi public opinion for having good ties with India.

Actions will speak louder than words.

1) Stop sheltering anti India elements such as ISI/ULFA/HuJI-B.
2) Handing over all the men and women wanted by India.
3) Stop thinking urself as a superpower when it comes to India.

and many such examples.

GB

 

[dmt111]

KZ and her BNP did not develop the agriculture, and instead, sold out her country's interest by importing more than $500 million worth of foodstuffs from India.

Link Please!

 

[Stumper]

Link Please!

You would serve yourself better by first searching for posts (or Google) .. before asking member's for Link. What he wanted to highlight was the trade gap that exists between BD and India.

 

[garibnawaz]

BD is one of the main friend in asia

In that case. Define Friend.

GB

 

[eastwatch]

Link Please!

I do not have a link. But, during the last year of BNP, India exported about $3.5 b worth of goods including farm products. After the cyclone SIDR, General Moeen became the virtual agriculture minister of BD. He started to develop agriculture and the present govt is also following the same policy. Today, the annual Indian export is around $2.8b. You can imagine the rest.

My point is if Begum Zia is so anti-Indian, then why should she fail her country in farm production and then purchase the same from India! Politicians are all hypocrites.

 

[garibnawaz]

I do not have a link. But, during the last year of BNP, India exported about $3.5 b worth of goods including farm products. After the cyclone SIDR, General Moeen became the virtual agriculture minister of BD. He started to develop agriculture and the present govt is also following the same policy. Today, the annual Indian export is around $2.8b. You can imagine the rest.

That was because of the global meltdown and had nothing to do with the politics.

Dr Mustafizur Rahman currently the Executive Director at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), is also a member of the Panel of Economists for the Sixth Five Year Plan. He was recently selected as a member of the National Task Force to monitor the impact of the global financial crisis on Bangladesh. He gave his views on the recently signed Bangladesh-India deal to The Daily Star

DS: How do you see the India-Bangladesh deal?
MR: From the economic perspective, there is potential for Bangladesh to gain from the deal. India remains a major trading partner of Bangladesh. In 2007-08, we imported about $3.3 billion worth of goods from India. In spite of global economic meltdown, in 2008-09, Bangladesh imported $2.8 billion worth. On the other hand, we exported about $360 million worth of goods in 2007-08 and in spite of financial crisis we exported $275 million worth in 2008-09.

'If north-east India develops, exports from Bangladesh will go up'

Also read

South Asia - Bangladesh, India Trade

http://commerce.nic.in/trade/India_Bangladesh_Trade_Agreement.pdf

GB

 

[eastwatch]

That was because of the global meltdown and had nothing to do with the politics.

GB

Yes, global meltdown has caused our exports and imports to slow down. But, food is different. An overpopulated country like BD must import food. However, after the SIDR, Gen. Moeen went after developing the agriculture with the help of his troops. The troops worked almost full time to bring a miracle, so that many of them were without military training for about one year.

During the warlike situation at the end of 2008 with Burma, our Generals really became worried about this lack of training. They were withdrawn from the farm supporting works at that juncture.

Military provided good quality seeds, pumps for irrigation, diesel, fertilizer and electricity - all in due time and in adequate quantities. The troops worked relentlessly to do the miracle. So, BD became self-sufficient in food production.

Today, BD does not have to import staple food from abroad. As a result of this, BD has not imported staple food from India as well. If the decline of import is at the tune of $700 million, stable food itself was responsible for at least $500 million.

Newspaper reports are always objective and what they focus about. The report you have quoted was focusing on the relationship between global recession and its effects on trades. So, it did not say BD has become self-sufficient in the production of staple foods.

About political people, they always hide the truths that can hurt them politically. Indian exports to BD increased every year during BNP rule. This Party had increased taxes on imported used cars from Japan, but reduced taxes on new imports from India.

For BNP, anti-India rhetorics were nothing but to raise its selling price to Indian traders and politicians. Now, AL govt is doing the same or more without the fear of being criticized by BNP. Both these Parties are in competition to woo favour with Indian politicians. One does it covertly and the other does it overtly.

 

[garibnawaz]

Yes, global meltdown has caused our exports and imports to slow down. But, food is different. An overpopulated country like BD must import food. However, after the SIDR, Gen. Moeen went after developing the agriculture with the help of his troops. The troops worked almost full time to bring a miracle, so that many of them were without military training for about one year.

During the warlike situation at the end of 2008 with Burma, our Generals really became worried about this lack of training. They were withdrawn from the farm supporting works at that juncture.

Military provided good quality seeds, pumps for irrigation, diesel, fertilizer and electricity - all in due time and in adequate quantities. The troops worked relentlessly to do the miracle. So, BD became self-sufficient in food production.

Today, BD does not have to import staple food from abroad. As a result of this, BD has not imported staple food from India as well. If the decline of import is at the tune of $700 million, stable food itself was responsible for at least $500 million.

Newspaper reports are always objective and what they focus about. The report you have quoted was focusing on the relationship between global recession and its effects on trades. So, it did not say BD has become self-sufficient in the production of staple foods.

About political people, they always hide the truths that can hurt them politically. Indian exports to BD increased every year during BNP rule. This Party had increased taxes on imported used cars from Japan, but reduced taxes on new imports from India.

For BNP, anti-India rhetorics were nothing but to raise its selling price to Indian traders and politicians. Now, AL govt is doing the same or more without the fear of being criticized by BNP. Both these Parties are in competition to woo favour with Indian politicians. One does it covertly and the other does it overtly.

The low trade has nothing to do with politics but with Global meltdown or the reasons u mentioned above. Thats the point.

Hence you argument that trade has gone low after AL comes to power holds no validity as AL coming to power has nothing to do with it.

Hope u r getting the point.

As far as rice import goes here

http://www.flex-news-food.com/pages...ales-india-bangladeshs-top-import-source.html

its published on 27-06-2008.

GB