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India for friendly ties with main political parties to get transit
India for friendly ties with main political parties to get transit
Nizam Ahmed
The alliance government in India is likely to pursue friendly relations with the mainstream political parties of Bangladesh with an aim to achieve permanent rail and road transit to the northeast, political monitors said in Dhaka on Saturday.
The recent gesture of New Delhi administration reflects its change of policy over the past several months as the much desired transit facility has become highly unlikely during the term of the Bangladesh government which is due to remain in office for next 16 months only.
"It is not unusual for India to assert its influence on Bangladesh's politics, or individual political parties to reap its social, political or commercial benefits," Prof. Imtiaz Ahmed, a senior teacher at the department of international affairs of the Dhaka University told the FE.
As per the new policy the Indian government, which has traditional friendly ties with the ruling Awami League in Dhaka, may host former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia, chief of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
Begum Khaleda Zia and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina assumed office following every widely acceptable general elections since 1991.
"There is no alternative to Khaleda Zia as the next head of the government if the incumbent prime minister fails to return to office in the next general election," said a political analyst.
Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, during his visit to Dhaka as Finance Minister in May invited Khaleda Zia to visit India at her convenient time, BNP leaders said.
"There is an standing invitation from India, but itinerary is yet to be finalised," Khaleda's spokesman Maruf Kamal Sohel told the FE.
The Indian government has recently hosted Bangladesh's former president Hussain Mohammad Ershad in a bid to boost relations between the Indian ruling alliance and his Jatiya Party (JP), which is the third largest party of the country.
Former president Ershad was a state guest during his visit to India and discussed all matters of interests of both the friendly nations, party sources said.
The JP is expected to play a greater role, individually or collectively, in forming the next government, said a leader of the party.
Meanwhile officials in New Delhi and Dhaka are in parleys to fix a tentative date for a meeting between Indian Prime Minister Dr Mahmohan Singh and his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina in Tehran on the sidelines of the ensuing three-day summit of the Non-Aligned Movement slated from Aug 29 to Aug 31.
Dr Manmohan and Sheikh Hasina had last interaction in Addu City in the Maldives where they met on the sidelines of the summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in November 2011.
The proposed Teesta accord and implementation of the land boundary accord to facilitate exchange of the enclaves are likely to feature the bilateral talks on the sidelines, including the next general election in Bangladesh due in early 2014.
Hasina is expected to ensure a flawless transparent election on the basis of a High Court ruling to hold the election under the incumbent government or a national government including representatives from the opposition.
"Besides friendship and greater understanding with neighbouring countries, our leaders and politicians should remain aware of the interest of the country and the nation," Hossain Zillur Rahman, former adviser to the past caretaker government told the FE.
However according to political analysts, India has failed to realise the transit facility from Bangladesh due to its internal weakness.
India could not convince key stakeholders of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) to sign a proposed Teesta river accord with Bangladesh, which was ready to give the transit facility to India in exchange of an agreement to share Teesta river water.
During Dr Manmohan's Dhaka visit in September last year, the much-desired Teesta water sharing deal could not be signed as Mamata Banarjee, chief minister of Paschimbanga state, declined to give her approval at the last moment.
Following Mamata's refusal to accept the Teesta agreement, Bangladesh also backed out from its commitment of signing a transit agreement, which was aimed at allowing India to carry its goods to northeast states from Paschimbanga through Bangladesh.
Besides the proposed Teesta river deal, an agreement signed during Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh's visit to Dhaka in September last year, for exchange of 162 enclaves between the two countries also could not be implemented as it required a constitutional amendment in India.
However according to Indian media following an existing friendly relations, Bangladesh helped New Delhi in subduing its insurgency in the northeast over the last three years.
The media said Bangladesh evicted all hideouts of Indian insurgents from remote areas in Bangladesh territory and handed over captured militants to India.
However Bangladesh never acknowledged this version of Indian media on insurgents officially.
India for friendly ties with main political parties to get transit
Nizam Ahmed
The alliance government in India is likely to pursue friendly relations with the mainstream political parties of Bangladesh with an aim to achieve permanent rail and road transit to the northeast, political monitors said in Dhaka on Saturday.
The recent gesture of New Delhi administration reflects its change of policy over the past several months as the much desired transit facility has become highly unlikely during the term of the Bangladesh government which is due to remain in office for next 16 months only.
"It is not unusual for India to assert its influence on Bangladesh's politics, or individual political parties to reap its social, political or commercial benefits," Prof. Imtiaz Ahmed, a senior teacher at the department of international affairs of the Dhaka University told the FE.
As per the new policy the Indian government, which has traditional friendly ties with the ruling Awami League in Dhaka, may host former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia, chief of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
Begum Khaleda Zia and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina assumed office following every widely acceptable general elections since 1991.
"There is no alternative to Khaleda Zia as the next head of the government if the incumbent prime minister fails to return to office in the next general election," said a political analyst.
Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, during his visit to Dhaka as Finance Minister in May invited Khaleda Zia to visit India at her convenient time, BNP leaders said.
"There is an standing invitation from India, but itinerary is yet to be finalised," Khaleda's spokesman Maruf Kamal Sohel told the FE.
The Indian government has recently hosted Bangladesh's former president Hussain Mohammad Ershad in a bid to boost relations between the Indian ruling alliance and his Jatiya Party (JP), which is the third largest party of the country.
Former president Ershad was a state guest during his visit to India and discussed all matters of interests of both the friendly nations, party sources said.
The JP is expected to play a greater role, individually or collectively, in forming the next government, said a leader of the party.
Meanwhile officials in New Delhi and Dhaka are in parleys to fix a tentative date for a meeting between Indian Prime Minister Dr Mahmohan Singh and his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina in Tehran on the sidelines of the ensuing three-day summit of the Non-Aligned Movement slated from Aug 29 to Aug 31.
Dr Manmohan and Sheikh Hasina had last interaction in Addu City in the Maldives where they met on the sidelines of the summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in November 2011.
The proposed Teesta accord and implementation of the land boundary accord to facilitate exchange of the enclaves are likely to feature the bilateral talks on the sidelines, including the next general election in Bangladesh due in early 2014.
Hasina is expected to ensure a flawless transparent election on the basis of a High Court ruling to hold the election under the incumbent government or a national government including representatives from the opposition.
"Besides friendship and greater understanding with neighbouring countries, our leaders and politicians should remain aware of the interest of the country and the nation," Hossain Zillur Rahman, former adviser to the past caretaker government told the FE.
However according to political analysts, India has failed to realise the transit facility from Bangladesh due to its internal weakness.
India could not convince key stakeholders of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) to sign a proposed Teesta river accord with Bangladesh, which was ready to give the transit facility to India in exchange of an agreement to share Teesta river water.
During Dr Manmohan's Dhaka visit in September last year, the much-desired Teesta water sharing deal could not be signed as Mamata Banarjee, chief minister of Paschimbanga state, declined to give her approval at the last moment.
Following Mamata's refusal to accept the Teesta agreement, Bangladesh also backed out from its commitment of signing a transit agreement, which was aimed at allowing India to carry its goods to northeast states from Paschimbanga through Bangladesh.
Besides the proposed Teesta river deal, an agreement signed during Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh's visit to Dhaka in September last year, for exchange of 162 enclaves between the two countries also could not be implemented as it required a constitutional amendment in India.
However according to Indian media following an existing friendly relations, Bangladesh helped New Delhi in subduing its insurgency in the northeast over the last three years.
The media said Bangladesh evicted all hideouts of Indian insurgents from remote areas in Bangladesh territory and handed over captured militants to India.
However Bangladesh never acknowledged this version of Indian media on insurgents officially.
