Dhaka rejects legal immunity proposal for Indian nationals

[CaPtAiN_pLaNeT]

Akhaura-Agartala Rail ProjectDhaka rejects legal immunity proposal for Indian nationals→

Dhaka rejects legal immunity proposal for Indian nationals : firstpage : daily sun

Kamran Reza Chowdhury

Dhaka has turned down Delhi’s proposal to provide legal immunity to the Indian citizens who will be working for the proposed Akhaura-Agartala railway link.

Bangladesh has also expressed its inability to agree with the proposal for providing land and other facilities to the Indian consultants and contractors for the project free of cost as New Delhi earlier assured Dhaka of bearing the expenses.

The Indian government made the proposal in the draft memorandum of understanding (MoU) prepared for implementing the Akhaura-Agartala project which is aimed at connecting its northeastern states via Bangladesh territory.

While examining the MoU sent by the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, the foreign ministry officials objected to proposals and made corrections in light of the Bangladesh-India joint communiqué prepared on the occasion of Sheikh Hasina’s Delhi tour in January 2010.

India will mainly be benefited from the Akhaura-Agartala rail link which will connect its landlocked seven northeastern states with the mainland separated by Bangladesh.

The rail link will reduce two-third distance between India’s Kolkata and the seven states, experts say. “We have agreed to accept the amendments made by the foreign ministry,” Sagar Krishna Biswas, Bangladesh Railway’s additional director general (infrastructure), told daily sun on Wednesday. Prime minister’s office and communications ministry sources say the government accepted the foreign ministry’s corrections at an inter-ministry meeting on September 4. The MoU was supposed to be signed during the visit of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, but it was not inked because of Dhaka’s amendment proposals.Officials of the two offices say another inter-ministry meeting would take place soon to prepare the MoU for signing with India.

daily sun has obtained a copy of the MoU proposed by Indian government and the copy of the foreign ministry’s letter which suggests corrections in the draft deal.

The Indian side proposed that no suit, prosecution or legal proceedings shall (must) be instituted against the GOI (government of India) personnel, consultants and contractors working on the project.

“The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations-1961, and Vienna Convention on Consular Relations-1963 do not provide such immunities to the persons mentioned above,” said the foreign ministry letter.

“The Indian side proposed that the GOB [government of Bangladesh] shall [must] make available to the consultants and contractors for the project, the necessary land and facilities, etc free of cost and free from all encroachments and encumbrances,” it said.

They also proposed, according to the letter, that all compensation because of damage and loss of property including cutting of trees must be the responsibility of Bangladesh government.

“As per the Joint Communiqué, the rail link project is to be financed by the government of India,” it said but the proposed MoU reversed its position saying, “The payment of compensation, if any, and settlement for claims and disputes arising from Article-V above shall (must) be the responsibility of the government of Bangladesh.”

Indian government in the Bangladesh-India joint statement made on Manmohan Singh’s Dhaka visit announced financial aid for the implementation of the Akhaura-Agartala rail link for transit facilities.

The MoU stipulates that the Indian government will build 26.45 kilometres of rail track connecting Agartala with Imambari station inside Bangladesh through Gangasagar point to connect the seven sisters’ states with Dhaka.

 

[Tiki Tam Tam]

ndia will mainly be benefited from the Akhaura-Agartala rail link which will connect its landlocked seven northeastern states with the mainland separated by Bangladesh.

How will it benefit India?

There is no transit treaty.

Putting the cart before the horse.

The rail link is really not required by India since Bangladesh railways is basically meter gauge and even if the transit treaty comes into being, it will be of no help unless India manufactures meter gauge rakes and Cs. That will be a colossal waste of money for India.

Meter gauge is so ancient that it is non existent in most parts of the world.

Shelving the project would be prudent economically and also politically.

 

[Zabaniyah]

I have never heard of The Daily Sun.

Sami sure comes up with interesting online sources

 

[Tiki Tam Tam]

Daily Sun?

A new one.

I thought it was Daily Star.

 

[T90TankGuy]

silly me and i thought it was the SUN . wondered if they carried the article just below page 3

 

[Tiki Tam Tam]

Sun, Moon or the Star.

BD is the solar system if we go by what Sami, Akram, zakir, munshi maharaj has to say.

Zabanya keeps our feet on the ground!!

 

[Spring Onion]

Legal immunity ??? this is funny that India is demanding such a thing from BD for its contractors .


so why rich India cant pay for their own people who are in BD working on projects which are concerning Indian interests

 

[Tiki Tam Tam]

I wonder if Pakistan is paying the Chinese for their work in Pakistan.

Or is it that Pakistan is too poor to do so?

 

[BanglaBhoot]

Yes the Daily Sun. A concern of the Bashundhara Group.

 

[Tiki Tam Tam]

A link please, Munshi maharaj.

 

[asad71]

How will it benefit India?

There is no transit treaty.

Putting the cart before the horse.

The rail link is really not required by India since Bangladesh railways is basically meter gauge and even if the transit treaty comes into being, it will be of no help unless India manufactures meter gauge rakes and Cs. That will be a colossal waste of money for India.

Meter gauge is so ancient that it is non existent in most parts of the world.

Shelving the project would be prudent economically and also politically.

1. In fact what we are hearing now is disinfo/eyewash. India has already obtained from a grateful BAL and SHW all she needed.
a. The transportation of the power station and heavy machinery to Tripura through Ashuganj-Akhaura. Tripura is already using power from this plant and has electrified the Indo-BD border.
b. NE insurgents in BD, in hiding or not, have all been returned/pushed out to India. Concurrently patriotic BD security forces officers involved in dealing with the insurgents, are being held and paraded around to send a message to future security service officers.
c. India can use Chittagong, Mongla and Ashuganj ports in addition to Inland Water ports. Transit is now a non-issue. India will move her cargo cheaper through these ports.
d. Water sharing remains a huge hoax. India has already diverted much water from the 54 common rivers.
e. The 24 Hr entry permission to two of the enclaves is another bluff. According to Mujib-Indira pact these approach roads are supposed to come to BD in perpetuity. What about the other enclaves covered by Mujib-Indira pact?

2. India has achieved all she desired. BD has got nothing except more promises. However, BD has learnt another bitter lesson of the deceit and unfriendly attitude of India. India's acceptance in BD society has never been this low.

 

[asad71]

How will it benefit India?

There is no transit treaty.

Putting the cart before the horse.

The rail link is really not required by India since Bangladesh railways is basically meter gauge and even if the transit treaty comes into being, it will be of no help unless India manufactures meter gauge rakes and Cs. That will be a colossal waste of money for India.

Meter gauge is so ancient that it is non existent in most parts of the world.

Shelving the project would be prudent economically and also politically.

1. In fact what we are hearing now is disinfo/eyewash. India has already obtained from a grateful BAL and SHW all she needed.
a. The transportation of the power station and heavy machinery to Tripura through Ashuganj-Akhaura. Tripura is already using power from this plant and has electrified the Indo-BD border.
b. NE insurgents in BD, in hiding or not, have all been returned/pushed out to India. Concurrently patriotic BD security forces officers involved in dealing with the insurgents, are being held and paraded around to send a message to future security service officers.
c. India can use Chittagong, Mongla and Ashuganj ports in addition to Inland Water ports. Transit is now a non-issue. India will move her cargo cheaper through these ports.
d. Water sharing remains a huge hoax. India has already diverted much water from the 54 common rivers.
e. The 24 Hr entry permission to two of the enclaves is another bluff. According to Mujib-Indira pact these approach roads are supposed to come to BD in perpetuity. What about the other enclaves covered by Mujib-Indira pact?

2. India has achieved all she desired. BD has got nothing except more promises. However, BD has learnt another bitter lesson of the deceit and unfriendly attitude of India. India's acceptance in BD society has never been this low.