Fallout from PM Abe’s visit to Dhaka

[Luffy 500]

Holiday

Shamsuddin Ahmed

What is the outcome of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to Dhaka? Officials claimed that the visit by the leader of Asia’s economic power will give an impetus to the comprehensive partnership with Japan which was set off during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to Tokyo last May. But Shinzo Abe flew to Dhaka September 6 and left for Sri Lanka the following morning with the same mission he had in Dhaka.

What seems significant is that he dashed to Dhaka within a couple of days of the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Japan. It is believed Shinzo came here to weigh the Chinese influence in Bangladesh and the needs to win support in his country’s disputes with China. He talked with Sheikh Hasina, patted on her back, praised her wisdom about power balance in Asia. He assured support for continuation of her government for full 5-year term.
The Japanese leader expressed gratitude to her for announcing withdrawal of Bangladesh’s candidature for non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council in Tokyo’s favour. Dhaka had tasted occupying the UN Security Council’s non-permanent seat in the past.

Deep sea port in Kutubdia
According to sources close to the government, top Japanese officials accompanying Prime Minister Shinzo Abe broadly hinted the Japanese interest in constructing the deep sea port at Maheshkhali, less than 10km west of Sonadia, where they are set to build a port for unloading coal for the 1200 megawatt power plant. The Japanese are to construct the coal based power plant under an agreement with the government. They are trying to convince Bangladesh that proposed deep sea port at the same site of coal unloading port will be economic and the location at Maheshkhali is equally ideal for the deep sea port.
For long the government has been telling the nation that deep sea port will be built at Sonadia and it will be constructed by China. Of late, the Chinese offer has been shelved. The government will now look at other offers including that of Japan.
Plainly speaking, Japan has been looking for friends for its anti-china drive and aggressively wooing India and other Southeast Asian countries to support and join the axis. The US-Japan policy is to contain the rise of China, frustrate her objective of dominating over the South China Sea and Indian Ocean. They seemed determined to counter China, both economically and militarily. US are shifting bulk of its navy into the Pacific. Its heavily armed warships based in Guam and Australia pose a real threat to Chinese Navy. China is wary about it.
Tokyo found Delhi bulwark against China as both countries have similar territorial dispute with China. Apart from economic interest, the disputes with China brought them closer. China claims ownership of small group of islands in the South China Sea which are under control of Japan. Both countries stoked tensions with military over flights and provocative statements. Similarly, India has longstanding border dispute with China that claimed vast tracts of land under Indian occupation, including Arunachal Pradesh.

Indo-Japan anti-Chinese axis?
During Narendra Modi’s Tokyo visit, Japanese media was enthusiastic over the assumption that Japan and India are working on a plan to contain the rise of China. But Delhi was cautious with China Policy. It has never given Tokyo a positive response when it came to containing China. Rather, Delhi has given Tokyo to understand that it will not join the alliance to surround or contain China. Tokyo may have the psychological comfort at India’s overtures against China.
It is said modern Chinese hate USA and mock India. China’s official mouthpiece Global Times in its recent editorial said that China should have the confidence and will-power when it comes to managing its relations with India. “If Modi’s style deviates too much from the (Manmohan) Singh administration, China will have to exert appropriate pressure on him,” adds the editorial. The message is clear. Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled visit Delhi next week. Needless to say apart from talking bilateral issues he will deliver the message to Narendra Modi. Despite defence pact, Japan is unlikely to come to India’s assistance in the event of border dispute flares up to an armed clash with China. Even USA may not intervene in the event of India-China armed clash over border dispute.
From Delhi Xi Jinping will go to Colombo which was also visited by the Japanese Premier Shinzo to woo President Rajapaksha for supporting the contain-China move. The Chinese leader was scheduled to go also Pakistan, considered a security pillar of China, but cancelled the visit due to political crisis there.
A small, poor country Bangladesh grappling with many problems at home cannot afford to take side in disputes between regional powers. Informed sources said awarding the proposed deep sea port to Japan will tantamount to support the US-Japan anti-China move.
The builders of deep sea port essentially control the port for decades. In the event Japanese build the deep sea port they are likely to hire necessary skilled manpower from countries including Israel and India who can bolster anti-China campaign in the Indian Ocean and South China Sea. Such a prospect is not desirable for Bangladesh. The government should take into consideration all aspects centering the proposed deep sea port.

 

[kalu_miah]

There is no India-Japan alliance yet. Japan is a NATO partner state. The Western alliance of NATO and its partner states want to recruit India in this alliance, but India has to think about BRICS, its traditional arms supply from Russia and hundreds of billions of dollar of infrastructure investment from China. I believe Japan along with the Western alliance has a much bigger plan with ASEAN than they have in India, which will eventually become a ASEAN+2 (Japan+South Korea) integrated zone, economically and militarily. This ASEAN+2 is as important to us as China.

We should support Japanese investment to build the Sonadia port, but make sure that it does not include enemy states like Indians or Israeli's in this project, rather other ASEAN+2 states, such as Indonesia and Malaysia. In short I see no problem in having Japan investing in and building this port. The Chinese should understand this as they themselves have accepted this illegitimate Hasina govt. with open arms and welcomed them to power after the sham Jan. 05, 2014 election, just like Bangladesh and Pakistan must understand China's move of hundreds of billions dollar investments in India.

 

[scholseys]

There is no India-Japan alliance yet. Japan is a NATO partner state. The Western alliance of NATO and its partner states want to recruit India in this alliance, but India has to think about BRICS, its traditional arms supply from Russia and hundreds of billions of dollar of infrastructure investment from China. I believe Japan along with the Western alliance has a much bigger plan with ASEAN than they have in India, which will eventually become a ASEAN+2 (Japan+South Korea) integrated zone, economically and militarily. This ASEAN+2 is as important to us as China.

We should support Japanese investment to build the Sonadia port, but make sure that it does not include enemy states like Indians or Israeli's in this project, rather other ASEAN+2 states, such as Indonesia and Malaysia. In short I see no problem in having Japan investing in and building this port. The Chinese should understand this as they themselves have accepted this illegitimate Hasina govt. with open arms and welcomed them to power after the sham Jan. 05, 2014 election, just like Bangladesh and Pakistan must understand China's move of hundreds of billions dollar investments in India.

japan is not a Nato partner state

 

[kalu_miah]

japan is not a Nato partner state

NATO - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_50336.htm

NATO cooperation with Japan

• Last updated: 08 May. 2014

Japan is the longest-standing of NATO’s “partners across the globe”. Building on initial contacts in the early 1990s, dialogue on common security interests has become more regular and structured. Practical cooperation has been developed in a wide range of areas, including peace-support and crisis-management activities, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, cyber defence, defence against terrorism, non-proliferation, as well as participation in military activities. Stabilising Afghanistan has been a key focus of cooperation over the past decade. NATO and Japan signalled their commitment to strengthen cooperation in a joint political declaration signed in April 2013, during the visit of NATO’s Secretary General to Japan.

The joint political declaration demonstrates how far the relationship between NATO and Japan has been taken in recent years. It sets out shared strategic interests in promoting global peace, stability and prosperity through pursuing a rules-based international order. It also outlines areas where Japan and NATO can develop closer cooperation, such as crisis management, peace-support operations and disaster-relief efforts, as well as defending against emerging threats from missiles, pirates, or in cyberspace.

Japan is one of a range of countries beyond the Euro-Atlantic area, which share similar strategic concerns and key Alliance values and with which NATO is developing relations.

NATO’s 2010 Strategic Concept paved the way for a more flexible partnership policy offering all partners the same basis of cooperation and dialogue. Choosing from the wide range of cooperation activities available in the Partnership Cooperation Menu, Japan concluded an Individual Partnership and Cooperation Programme with NATO on 6 May 2014 - a programme that is tailored to its interests and formalises its relations with the Alliance.

Practical cooperation
Japan has provided much-valued support for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and for reconstruction and development efforts in Afghanistan. Japan helped mobilise international support for Afghanistan’s ongoing development by organising the Tokyo Conference in July 2012 and has itself pledged US$5 billion to this end over a five-year period (2009-2013).

In the past, Japan supported efforts to disarm, demobilise and reintegrate former combatants, and it continues to support efforts to reintegrate insurgents under the Afghanistan Peace and Reintegration Program, to which Japan has contributed US$52 million.

Japan has also provided financial support to human security projects in numerous regions of Afghanistan since 2007. Facilitated by ISAF, the Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) identify critical areas for Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Projects (GAGP). In 2009, Japan appointed liaison officers to the Lithuanian PRT in Chaghcharan and the Swedish PRT in Mazar-e Sharif to support these programmes. They also maintained a direct presence in the office of the NATO Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan to help coordinate the US$20 million worth of GAGP funding.

Moreover, Japan has made valuable contributions to the Afghan National Army (ANA) Trust Fund aimed at equipping and sustaining the ANA, including US$20 million for literacy programmes as well as funds to procure medical supplies. Additionally, Japan has made generous contributions to a NATO/Partnership Trust Fund project in Afghanistan with a view to enhancing stockpile management and physical security of ammunitions.

Japan has also been contributing generously to the Law and Order Trust Fund for Afghanistan (LOTFA) since 2007, mainly to support the salaries and training of Afghan police. Donations over the three-year period from 2010 to 2012 amounted to almost US$600 million.

Japan has supported similar Trust Fund projects in other partner countries. It is supporting an ammunition stockpile-management project in Tajikistan, the destruction of pesticides in Moldova and the clearance of an ammunition depot in Georgia. It also contributed to a project to clear 571 hectares of contaminated land and safely dispose of unexploded ordnance in Azerbaijan and has been supporting a similar Trust Fund project in Azerbaijan since 2011.

In the 1990s, Japan played a role in stabilising the Balkans, where NATO has led several peace-support operations since the mid-1990s – as a major donor nation, it contributed to the successful recovery of the Balkans region and its reintegration into the European mainstream.

More recently, Japan’s Maritime Self Defence Force has assisted NATO ships with preventing pirate attacks in the Gulf of Aden.

Dialogue
A strategic dialogue involving high-level discussions held alternatively in Japan and at NATO Headquarters in Brussels has been ongoing since the early 1990s. Initial exchanges led to more structured and regular contact.

NATO’s Secretary General visited Tokyo in April 2005 and again in December 2007. In January 2007, during his first term as Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe addressed the North Atlantic Council (NAC). Japanese Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto visited NATO Headquarters in May 2011 and met the current Secretary General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen. The Secretary General visited Japan again in April 2013 for talks with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and top officials in his government on security issues of shared concern as well as opportunities for deeper cooperation. In May 2014, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe returned to NATO Headquarters in Brussels to hold discussions with the Secretary General and address the NAC. It was during this visit that Japan’s Individual Partnership Cooperation Programme was concluded.

Demonstrating the deepening of relations between NATO and Japan in recent years, Japanese officials have participated in a number of informal exchanges of views with Allies on security issues of mutual interest, such as North Korea, assistance to Afghanistan, cooperation with Central Asia, missile defence and counter-piracy.

 

[sahaliyan]

There is no India-Japan alliance yet. Japan is a NATO partner state. The Western alliance of NATO and its partner states want to recruit India in this alliance, but India has to think about BRICS, its traditional arms supply from Russia and hundreds of billions of dollar of infrastructure investment from China. I believe Japan along with the Western alliance has a much bigger plan with ASEAN than they have in India, which will eventually become a ASEAN+2 (Japan+South Korea) integrated zone, economically and militarily. This ASEAN+2 is as important to us as China.

We should support Japanese investment to build the Sonadia port, but make sure that it does not include enemy states like Indians or Israeli's in this project, rather other ASEAN+2 states, such as Indonesia and Malaysia. In short I see no problem in having Japan investing in and building this port. The Chinese should understand this as they themselves have accepted this illegitimate Hasina govt. with open arms and welcomed them to power after the sham Jan. 05, 2014 election, just like Bangladesh and Pakistan must understand China's move of hundreds of billions dollar investments in India.

Not all ASEAN countries are against China,in reality,most have friendly and normal relation with China(some are pro-US and pro-China both,for example,the Thailand),also BRICS is not a political alliance nor a economic one,it's foolish to think South Africa and Brazil can be anti-west or American,the term BRICS was created by some western economists,they think those countries developed very fast in early 21th century,but have little voice in organizations like IMF and World Bank,their only common interests is have louder voice in world economic,nothing more.Also of cource,India is not ally of China,but Indian-Japanese relation is better than Indian-Chinese relation,there is no territorial dispute between India and Japan,it's already common thoughts in some west think tankers to use India to counter China,after all,India is "largest democracy" of the world,Indians are just smart,they don't openly against China,but will not be China's ally neither
If we talk about investment,then US and West is the largest investors of China,not some one from BRICS,also the investment from Japan in China and Chinese investment in Japan both very large,not to mention China-Japan trade relations.But economic is economic,nothing to do with politic,also to think China against US in every fields is foolish,in fact,as so called G2,China and US share more common interests than China with any BRICS countries,they are rivals not enemies
I think Chinese lost their interest in Sonadia,as I said earlier,China get nothing benefit from this project,instead China should focus on Gwadar and Burma.Also Chinese should invest in Bangladesh of labor-intensive industries,this is the better thing Chinese should do

 

[kalu_miah]

Not all ASEAN countries are against China,in reality,most have friendly and normal relation with China(some are pro-US and pro-China both,for example,the Thailand),also BRICS is not a political alliance nor a economic one,it's foolish to think South Africa and Brazil can be anti-west or American,the term BRICS was created by some western economists,they think those countries developed very fast in early 21th century,but have little voice in organizations like IMF and World Bank,their only common interests is have louder voice in world economic,nothing more.Also of cource,India is not ally of China,but Indian-Japanese relation is better than Indian-Chinese relation,there is no territorial dispute between India and Japan,it's already common thoughts in some west think tankers to use India to counter China,after all,India is "largest democracy" of the world,Indians are just smart,they don't openly against China,but will not be China's ally neither
If we talk about investment,then US and West is the largest investors of China,not some one from BRICS,also the investment from Japan in China and Chinese investment in Japan both very large,not to mention China-Japan trade relations.But economic is economic,nothing to do with politic,also to think China against US in every fields is foolish,in fact,as so called G2,China and US share more common interests than China with any BRICS countries,they are rivals not enemies
I think Chinese lost their interest in Sonadia,as I said earlier,China get nothing benefit from this project,instead China should focus on Gwadar and Burma.Also Chinese should invest in Bangladesh of labor-intensive industries,this is the better thing Chinese should do

Thanks for your opinion that China may have lost interest in Sonadia port, due to delaying tactic by current Awami League govt. under pressure from India. In such a situation, Bangladesh should welcome Japan to invest in this port. If Awami League does not welcome Japan to invest and build Sonadia deep sea port then that it will be proven twice that India backed Awami League will not be able to work for development of Bangladesh. Every time there is a proposal from any country to invest and build infrastructure in Bangladesh, under Indian pressure they will delay till the interested country loose interest. Lets see how this works out in case of Japan and Sonadia port. Our people will be watching and taking notes.

 

[eastwatch]

Thanks for your opinion that China may have lost interest in Sonadia port, due to delaying tactic by current Awami League govt. under pressure from India. In such a situation, Bangladesh should welcome Japan to invest in this port. If Awami League does not welcome Japan to invest and build Sonadia deep sea port then that it will be proven twice that India backed Awami League will not be able to work for development of Bangladesh. Every time there is a proposal from any country to invest and build infrastructure in Bangladesh, under Indian pressure they will delay till the interested country loose interest. Lets see how this works out in case of Japan and Sonadia port. Our people will be watching and taking notes.

It is preposterous to blame everything on AL and India when the Jamaat-supported another good for nothing party BNP did nothing good for the country? Why to blame everything on AL and India when China itself may have little or no interest in the project because Burma does not want this to happen.

Burma does not want a route through its land that benefits BD at the expense of its own interest. Do not you really understand this simple logic? If so, how do you expect China to finance and build such a money losing project? $7 billion is not that a cheap money, isn't it?

Why you Jamaatis are so eager to downgrade our county by linking everything with India? Do not you love a Bangladesh free of Pakistani domination? Jamaat attitude is very childish and It is very shameful, too.

Do not expect the Japanese to come with $7 billion and build a port that brings no benefit to itself. They are not that stupid. They know how to do the cost and benefit calculations of a project. China and Indian NE markets must be involved with this project.

Now, as usual, you will come up with another anti-India crap.

 

[TopCat]

It is preposterous to blame everything on AL and India when the Jamaat-supported another good for nothing party BNP did nothing good for the country? Why to blame everything on AL and India when China itself may have little or no interest in the project because Burma does not want this to happen.

Burma does not want a route through its land that benefits BD at the expense of its own interest. Do not you really understand this simple logic? If so, how do you expect China to finance and build such a money losing project? $7 billion is not that a cheap money, isn't it?

Why you Jamaatis are so eager to downgrade our county by linking everything with India? Do not you love a Bangladesh free of Pakistani domination? Jamaat attitude is very childish and It is very shameful, too.

Do not expect the Japanese to come with $7 billion and build a port that brings no benefit to itself. They are not that stupid. They know how to do the cost and benefit calculations of a project. China and Indian NE markets must be involved with this project.

Now, as usual, you will come up with another anti-India crap.

China still very much in Sonadia port. It was basically Indian and USA objection but USA withdrew its reservation lately. We are not sure about Indian position as of yet after Modi took office.

 

[idune]

It is preposterous to blame everything on AL and India when the Jamaat-supported another good for nothing party BNP did nothing good for the country? Why to blame everything on AL and India when China itself may have little or no interest in the project because Burma does not want this to happen.

Burma does not want a route through its land that benefits BD at the expense of its own interest. Do not you really understand this simple logic? If so, how do you expect China to finance and build such a money losing project? $7 billion is not that a cheap money, isn't it?

Why you Jamaatis are so eager to downgrade our county by linking everything with India? Do not you love a Bangladesh free of Pakistani domination? Jamaat attitude is very childish and It is very shameful, too.

Do not expect the Japanese to come with $7 billion and build a port that brings no benefit to itself. They are not that stupid. They know how to do the cost and benefit calculations of a project. China and Indian NE markets must be involved with this project.

Now, as usual, you will come up with another anti-India crap.

Each one of these eastwatch bs was answered many times over in this forum, so readers please ignore these indian originated lie. Specially when eastwatch tries to speak as if he represents Japanese govt.

Here are good examples of eastwatch lie and deception -
1) he keep harping about $7 billion price tag. But he tries to mask the fact such project are built in phases and money spent in phases. Initial cost recovery starts as soon port get operational.
2) Bangladesh own demand and cost saving elements give enough merits for deep sea port. Serving other countries are not crucial at the initial stages. Yet eastwatch keep paddling same lie that somehow if port can not serve Myanmar or india, project is a loss.

 

[eastwatch]

Each one of these eastwatch bs was answered many times over in this forum, so readers please ignore these indian originated lie. Specially when eastwatch tries to speak as if he represents Japanese govt.

Here are good examples of eastwatch lie and deception -
1) he keep harping about $7 billion price tag. But he tries to mask the fact such project are built in phases and money spent in phases. Initial cost recovery starts as soon port get operational.
2) Bangladesh own demand and cost saving elements give enough merits for deep sea port. Serving other countries are not crucial at the initial stages. Yet eastwatch keep paddling same lie that somehow if port can not serve Myanmar or india, project is a loss.

I am not here to answer your deception and rants. But, would you like to show me the project analysis and pofile that can testify you ignorant sttemet that anything built on earth with billions of dollar starts paying back the money. Well, ignorance is a blessing for guys like you. But, the Japanese govt is not that ignorant because there are very few bla bla people lke you live in that county or in the entire Universe. Stupid fool!!!!

 

[kalu_miah]

It is preposterous to blame everything on AL and India when the Jamaat-supported another good for nothing party BNP did nothing good for the country? Why to blame everything on AL and India when China itself may have little or no interest in the project because Burma does not want this to happen.

Burma does not want a route through its land that benefits BD at the expense of its own interest. Do not you really understand this simple logic? If so, how do you expect China to finance and build such a money losing project? $7 billion is not that a cheap money, isn't it?

Why you Jamaatis are so eager to downgrade our county by linking everything with India? Do not you love a Bangladesh free of Pakistani domination? Jamaat attitude is very childish and It is very shameful, too.

Do not expect the Japanese to come with $7 billion and build a port that brings no benefit to itself. They are not that stupid. They know how to do the cost and benefit calculations of a project. China and Indian NE markets must be involved with this project.

Now, as usual, you will come up with another anti-India crap.

India backed AL will be blamed because it has been illegally sitting in power with help of India precisely to make decisions that has and will continue to harm Bangladesh national interest. And what kind of childish attitude from a grown "intelligent" professional man like you calling me a Jamati? What proof do you have that I have ever been a member of this party or even support this party or their ideology? So let me guess when I oppose AL and Indian interest, I become a Jamati? Just like the Indians call me a Jamati? Indeed in this respect there is no difference between Indians and you it seems.

As long as India is putting its hands inside Bangladesh where it does not belong and it is not completely cutoff, I will continue to be anti-India in all my posts, your absurd name calling will not be able to stop them, so stop wasting bandwidth on your fruitless efforts.

 

[eastwatch]

India backed AL will be blamed because it has been illegally sitting in power with help of India precisely to make decisions that has and will continue to harm Bangladesh national interest. And what kind of childish attitude from a grown "intelligent" professional man like you calling me a Jamati? What proof do you have that I have ever been a member of this party or even support this party or their ideology? So let me guess when I oppose AL and Indian interest, I become a Jamati? Just like the Indians call me a Jamati? Indeed in this respect there is no difference between Indians and you it seems.

.

Stop sending rants. All the roads lead to Rome and all the posts you send lead you to a die hard Jamaati. The way you hate Hindu speaks for itself. It is not India that you hate, but it is Hindus of both BD and India that you hate. But, I must tell you the way you Jamaatis preach the Muslim children to waste five hours a day in crying and praying it is not far that the hard studying BD Hindus will take over all the important administration posts in BD. Now, you will come with another Jamaati excuse that AL govt is responsible for this.

 

[kalu_miah]

Stop sending rants. All the roads lead to Rome and all the posts you send lead you to a die hard Jamaati. The way you hate Hindu speaks for itself. It is not India that you hate, but it is Hindus of both BD and India that you hate. But, I must tell you the way you Jamaatis preach the Muslim children to waste five hours a day in crying and praying it is not far that the hard studying BD Hindus will take over all the important administration posts in BD. Now, you will come with another Jamaati excuse that AL govt is responsible for this.

If it was Animists from another country that was meddling in Bangladesh internal affairs, then I would be speaking out against them as well. So please do not bring nonexistent religious hatred issue in this. Stay on topic and stop exposing your obsession with Jamat.

In the feasibility report it says only 10% of the traffic is expected from other regional countries including China which means 90% of the traffic is expected from Bangladesh.

Proposed Sonadia deep-sea port may be a major vehicle of economic development for Bangladesh, shipping minister | Asian Tribune

Proposed Sonadia deep-sea port may be a major vehicle of economic development for Bangladesh, shipping minister

Mon, 2009-04-13 10:38 — admin

M.A. Kader-Asian Tribune Correspondent in Bangladesh

"Dhaka, 13 April (Asiantribune.com): The proposed deep-sea port at Sonadia-Moheskhali point will enable Bangladesh to be a major player in the regional trade and act as a gateway to the region because of its geographic location, a study presented at a workshop Sunday in Dhaka said.

"Sonadia Island succeeded so far as the best optimal location for a deep sea port out of the possible nine locations," Eddy Declercq, private sector expert of Japan's Pacific Consultant International (PCI) told the workshop on 'Techno-Economic Feasibility Study of a Deep Sea Port in Bangladesh'.

Bangladesh Shipping Minister Afsarul Amin, who attended the workshop as chief guest, said the deep sea port might be a major vehicle of economic development of Bangladesh.
The minister speaking at the workshop titled, "Techno-Economic Feasibility Study of a deep sea port in Bangladesh" hoped Bangladesh could be turned into an important country like Singapore if the deep-sea port project is implemented in time maintaining the standard of service.
The consultant has suggested the Sonadia-Moheshkhali point as the best location to set up the deep-sea port in three phases until 2055 at a cost of $ 1.2 billion with the first phase completed by 2016.

In the feasibility study, it also said the impact of regional transit cargos for the proposed deep-sea port would be marginal, accounting for about 10 percent of the expected cargo-handling volume. The transit cargo handling, predominantly from China, would be around 10 percent of the total volume.

Good governance would be a key component for the project to be a success, said the PCI official.
Touching on details, Declercq said a harbour of nine 300-metre jetties would be constructed along with required infrastructure and back-up facilities in the first phase.
"[The harbour] would allow berthing of 9 mother vessels, 4 containers and 5 general cargo vessels."
The second phase, expected to be completed by 2035, would see two more harbours with the same specifications.
The deep-sea port would have six harbours when the third phase would be completed by 2055, the PCI expert said.
The 31-month study since June 2006 proposed a 40-km railway track from Chittagong to Cox's Bazar, roads of the same length, development of inland waterways for transportation of goods with facilities of water treatment plant and thermal power plant.
The study recommends forming an interim port authority before setting up a deep-sea port authority.
The shipping minister making a call for donors’ funding said the government would do everything to secure funding for the project.
The study would be reviewed in light of suggestions from Sunday's workshop and then finalised, the minister told reporters afterwards.
Prime minister's economic affairs adviser Mashiur Rahman stressed on attracting foreign and private investments for the project.
The workshop, organized by the shipping ministry, was participated by representatives from different government organizations, members of the technical committee and the parliamentary standing committee on shipping ministry.
- Asian Tribune -"

Govt. Focuses on Deep Sea Port | Page 3
"About NE states traffic, Indians have invested in Sittwe port and they will use this shallow port for traffic between Indian ports (like Kolkata) and NE. For inter-India traffic they do not need Sonadia. In fact this presence of Sittwe would be a good justification for Bangladesh to forever close the issue of Transit/corridor (which is a veiled attack on our sovereignty) to NE as India would no longer need this and by sea would be a much cheaper and direct route. As for NE exports bound for third country, I see no problem for them to use Sonadia or Kyukphyu, whichever becomes available sooner and whichever is cheaper option for them. Eventually both options will be available to them and they will use the cheaper and faster option.

Now lets look at some stats:
List of world's busiest container ports - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Twenty-foot equivalent unit - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The busiest container port is Shanghai with about 32 million TEU, where as number 50 is Nagoya with 2.6 million TEU. Chittagong already crossed 1.5 million TEU in 2011:
Port of Chittagong - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Chittagong does not have a very small volume of traffic by world standards and it is rapidly growing, considering increasing transfer of labor intensive industries, after China became expensive and there is no cheaper labor country in Asia. Busan, a city I stayed in for about 2 years in many different trips, has a traffic of 16 million TEU. This evening I just drove over two US ports close by with 14 million TEU capacity with millions of containers stacked.

If Koreans with a population of 40 million, can have this amount of traffic, I think eventually in a few decades, our traffic will be much higher. This is why we need a deep sea port and we need it now, to open up potentials for more FDI, more export industries and more development of Bangladesh.

It is not just Deep Sea port in Sonadia, we also need some critical pieces of infrastructure:

- at least a 4 lane highway between major cities, like Dhaka and Chittagong and to this Sonadia port
- a metro rail to relieve traffic congestion in Dhaka
- nuclear power to meet the demand of energy

Once we have these, the sky is the limit. Chinese, Japanese and Koreans will compete to see who can get in here first and take the opportunity.

Now, AL has a history of sabotaging national interest. If I remember correctly AL did the same thing with submarine cable. Because of AL we missed the first one that went near our coast, even Burma got a landing from it and our first fiber landing was delayed for a decade because of AL stupidity (I am guessing this was due to Indian instruction). May be we can open a thread about this.

I am guessing that India does not like this Sonadia port, and AL seems like it is stalling this project. They refused Chinese funds, now they will refuse funds from UAE."

Govt. Focuses on Deep Sea Port | Page 4
"No port should be built based on assumptions from other countries which may or may not materialize in the future. We can only depend on the increasing traffic need from Bangladesh which has already exceeded 1.5 million TEU in Chittagong in 2010-2011 time period and probably exceeded 2 million TEU by 2012 or will do so in a few years.

As for river ports, we can definitely do with more, but I think they are not topic of discussion here.

I was wondering, how did countries like China and UAE become interested in a mega venture like this involving billions without running their own independent feasibility report? Are they not concerned that an investment will become a failure and they have to bear some responsibility, as I would imagine the builder/financier would also be involved in running this port.

Our sea access is our only connection to the world economy and to all neighbor nations other than India. I think even to reduce our dependence on India, this deep sea port will play a vital strategic and economic role, that cannot be measured with money.

But as mentioned before, let us all wait for a new updated feasibility report, that should only count Bangladesh traffic."