India won't pay any fees for transshipment thru’ roads

[DesiGuy]

u are right ......we should have protected our borders.
if begalis are against their govt cant we be 1 once again . united pak
thats a stupid thought . but every thing is possible!!!

whose borders are you talking about?


ppl in Pakistan are against zardari government can't we be once again United India.

that's a stupid thought . but every thing is possible...as you said!

 

[Al-zakir]

1. selling food for the truckers
2. Repairing the vehicles are a few to name

Are you nut? You do realize that BD is sovereign and if you want use our land to go across from one part of your country another then you must pay otherwise your truck and truckers will seize to exist. Our land is not for free.

Abbeey tum logo ko bheek chahi hay kaya??? Toh Dhaka mey aa kar bheek mango, shahid hum tum bheekario ko kuch bheek deyga.

 

[desioptimist]

Nothing special here. In a negotiation, both side agree only when they see that they got their best bargain. As BD govt pointed out, the infra being developed will help bangladesh.

Bangladesh is being wooed by chinease too and should feel lucky that at least you are in good bargaining position. Whether you use the position is a different thing.

We also build a port in Iran and road from that port to Afganistan so that we can move our goods there. I am sure we will do a good bargain, and wont pay transshipment there as well.

 

[integra]

Nothing special here. In a negotiation, both side agree only when they see that they got their best bargain. As BD govt pointed out, the infra being developed will help bangladesh.

Bangladesh is being wooed by chinease too and should feel lucky that at least you are in good bargaining position. Whether you use the position is a different thing.

We also build a port in Iran and road from that port to Afganistan so that we can move our goods there. I am sure we will do a good bargain, and wont pay transshipment there as well.

Why do you guys always ask for trouble? Just do as they do in europe pay tax or quit acting noble.

 

[rubyjackass]

Well there might be something on the other side of the coin, if India is gaining free access, i am sure Bangladesh would be getting something in return in other field....a big loan or such.....there is nothing free in politics.

India gets access to 7 N-E states via Bangladesh - Rediff.com India News

Bangladesh gets free transit to Nepal and Bhutan in return. The 'patriotic' crank-pots very conveniently forget this fact. In fact India is expected to open up its territory before Bangladesh opens up for India. See the above article.

isn't there anyway to sign a petition against the ongoing deal? I'll support the deal only if its economically feasible, if its not hell with it....we are not a corridor, well why don't you Indians give us free corridor to Pakistan and other saarc countries than.

I will tell you what the deal is in simple terms. IN gets access to NE through BD rivers and roads. BD gets access to Nepal and Bhutan through Indian roads. Besides India pays for BD's infrastructure. Added perks are trimmed negative list for BD's exports and less trade barriers with no reciprocity expected from BD.

Do you still think India should pay per vehicle charge?

Are you nut? You do realize that BD is sovereign and if you want use our land to go across from one part of your country another then you must pay otherwise your truck and truckers will seize to exist. Our land is not for free.

Abbeey tum logo ko bheek chahi hay kaya??? Toh Dhaka mey aa kar bheek mango, shahid hum tum bheekario ko kuch bheek deyga.

Its a deal, a mutually agreed deal. yeah yeah we all here understand that BD is sovereign. Dont recite mangal pandey dialogues. All the best at your campaign to mislead people.

 

[Skies]

Eye on India, Bangladesh is now open for business

Ishita Ayan Dutt / Dhaka December 03, 2010, 0:37 IST


Follow-up action on both sides of the border is gaining momentum, with focus on transit and transshipment.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Hasina has just cleared a proposal for a 20-storey Board of Investment office. The grubby incumbent was never fit for her to visit. Leave alone the foreign investors that she’s betting on, to turn Bangladesh into a middle-income country by 2021.

Headed by an investor-friendly Prime Minister, who doubles up as chairman of the Board of Investment (BOI), Bangladesh is now open for business. And, Indo-Bangla economic and business relations is central to it.


“Since Prime Minister Hasina’s visit to India in January this year, business proposals have increased significantly, almost 34 per cent,” BOI Additional Secretary Mohammed Liaquat Ali said.

About three months ago, India’s Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee signed a $1-billion credit line for financing 14 infrastructure projects. Follow-up action on both sides of the border is gaining momentum, with a focus on transit and transshipment.

Bangladesh could provide better connectivity for North East India, or NE, to the rest of India by land and through Chittagong Port to the rest of the world.

“The trade between NE and the rest of India stands at 38 million tonnes (mt), of which 33 mt is with Assam. Not everything, but about half of it will be viable through Bangladesh,” Centre for Policy Dialogue Bangladesh Executive Director, Mustafizur Rahman, said.

Headway in quite a few of the projects has been made. The fifth port of call in Bangladesh, Ashuganj, has been taken. About 30 km from Agartala, Ashuganj can facilitate movement by road and onwards from the port by river.

A bridge over the Feni river — about 75 km from the Chittagong Port — will be financed, and can serve as a potential trading gateway between Bangladesh and Tripura/NE. Modalities are being worked out for use of Mongla and Chittagong ports.

Opportunities are enormous, but to make transit a success would mean huge investments.

“It’s going to involve an investment of $5 billion in road, rail and river. But once created, it can be used for flow of goods through Bangladesh in general and the country can either charge maintenance fees or levy toll,” Rahman said.

The fees or toll could help bridge the more than $3-billion trade deficit between India and Bangladesh, a sore point and an emotive issue with the latter.

The will is evident — on the political and business fronts — from the exchange of visits since earlier this year. But there are outstanding problems, a legacy of the past 30 years.

“India should take a lead role in dismantling tariff and non-tariff barriers not just with Bangladesh but surrounding nations. India has done to a large extent for Nepal and Bhutan. As another least developed country, it should be done for Bangladesh as well. In the past, bureaucracy was a good distance behind the political leadership,” Bangladesh Enterprise Institute President Farooq Sobhan said.

The immediate concerns include improving infrastructure and customs facilities on both sides, facilitation of goods movement, and unhindered access, which means doing away with quotas.

“One of the key issues has been standards and certification. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and its counterpart in Bangladesh should work in tandem. There is some progress on that front now. In the past, it’s been a major impediment,” Sobhan added.

A BIS team is expected to visit Bangladesh soon.

Business proposals from both sides are also picking up. “The process of integration of the two economies, especially in the area of investment, has now reached a new height,” one of the leading industrialists Abdul Matlub Ahmad, chairman of Nitol-Niloy group and president India-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said.

Yet, investments registered with the BOI show that China has made deeper inroads. During January to October 2010, Indian investments stood at $14.52 million, while China’s was at $78.18 million.

But then it’s not mandatory to register investment proposals with BOI, so comparative figures for proposals from India and China are not strictly comparable. Some solace for India.

 

[integra]

India gets access to 7 N-E states via Bangladesh - Rediff.com India News

Bangladesh gets free transit to Nepal and Bhutan in return. The 'patriotic' crank-pots very conveniently forget this fact. In fact India is expected to open up its territory before Bangladesh opens up for India. See the above article.



I will tell you what the deal is in simple terms. IN gets access to NE through BD rivers and roads. BD gets access to Nepal and Bhutan through Indian roads. Besides India pays for BD's infrastructure. Added perks are trimmed negative list for BD's exports and less trade barriers with no reciprocity expected from BD.

Do you still think India should pay per vehicle charge?



Its a deal, a mutually agreed deal. yeah yeah we all here understand that BD is sovereign. Dont recite mangal pandey dialogues. All the best at your campaign to mislead people.

In the long term? Obviously yes. Because the infrastructure that you think you are building are from credit loans which we pay back and that is taxpayers money.

 

[eastwatch]

India gets access to 7 N-E states via Bangladesh - Rediff.com India News

Bangladesh gets free transit to NEPAL and BHUTAN in return.

Since when Nepal and Bhutan have become integral parts of Bangladesh, although we know that Assam is India's NE frontier. Bangladesh certainly does not need any transit to those two land-locked countries.

These two countries need transit through India in order to get into BD and then to BoB. They want this exit to the world with our assistance. But, it is only to GET RID OF India's evil grasp, which soaks away their vitalities as a nation.

India should have given them a clear and thorough passage to Calcutta and to the outer world. Since they are suffering at the hands of India, they prefer a route through BD, instead.

 

[akash57]

Hopefully the opposition parties will be able to get their act together and work together to stop this from happening. Bangladesh is definitely not a state of India, nor is a it a buffer state for it to be used as a corridor. A deal such as this is not fair as Bangladesh hardly benefits from it.

Now if at least India were to fully pay for everything that goes through our land, then it should be considered and thought about, but until then, this is totally selling out.

1. selling food for the truckers
2. Repairing the vehicles are a few to name

This is a country, not a truck stop.

 

[desioptimist]

Why do you guys always ask for trouble? Just do as they do in europe pay tax or quit acting noble.

This bargain goes on all the time. And why would Iran agree if they don't have anything to gain? The other end of bargain could be anything, not necessarily monetary.
Recent wikileaks confirm that counties bargain on various positions, but don't tell the public the reason behind their decision openly.

May be a wikileak in India or BD will inform us what was given in return.
However you can never blame the other party for trying to get best deal for themself.

 

[desioptimist]

Since when Nepal and Bhutan have become integral parts of Bangladesh, although we know that Assam is India's NE frontier. Bangladesh certainly does not need any transit to those two land-locked countries.

These two countries need transit through India in order to get into BD and then to BoB. They want this exit to the world with our assistance. But, it is only to GET RID OF India's evil grasp, which soaks away their vitalities as a nation.

India should have given them a clear and thorough passage to Calcutta and to the outer world. Since they are suffering at the hands of India, they prefer a route through BD, instead.

Now that BD has free transit to these countries, they will get rid of our "evil grasp". You should support that, should not you?

 

[integra]

the opposition party should organize economics seminar on the transit issue, they should also sponsor technical talk shows and debate wit gov. That way they'll be able to create the right amount of pressure to force the gov to review its position. This will also make headlines and people will know what is good and what is wrong.

 

[desioptimist]

the opposition party should organize economics seminar on the transit issue, they should also sponsor technical talk shows and debate wit gov. That way they'll be able to create the right amount of pressure to force the gov to review its position. This will also make headlines and people will know what is good and what is wrong.

Yes, that makes perfect sense to me. The Role of opposition is to inform the people of wrongdoing done by govt, and force govt to come clean.

 

[rubyjackass]

In the long term? Obviously yes. Because the infrastructure that you think you are building are from credit loans which we pay back and that is taxpayers money.

Currently we cannot predict the volume of goods this transit will allow in the immediate future because BD is yet to explore its markets in Nepal and Bhutan; and India has to decide which of the goods can be routed through BD. The wise thing to do is to let the agreement come into force first, then if there is a wide gap in the volumes of transit trade, a new agreement can be negotiated.

Starting out with a per vehicle charge will cause BD to lose some business opportunity in the new markets. And for India(public) the agreement will sound like a less attractive option. This will hamper the basic cause of the agreement.

The whole mess is because BD govt prematurely imposed the per container charge. Right now the best thing to do is to see the full potential of the transits realized. Only then, if there is huge imbalance in utilizations of transits, a new charge negotiation makes sense.

BD is going to use Indian infrastructure as well. Who is paying for that? Nothing in the deal is forever. It is renegotiable. DO you want to see how much BD can trade potentially with Nepal and Bhutan or do you just want to put caps there and shoot in your own leg by attracting Indian retaliation in the form of per vehicle charge? The question is not just rhetorical.

@east watch: may be you dont have any personal business in Nepal and Bhutan. But BD is interested in the access. Nepal and Bhutan already have access to Kolkata and Haldia ports. India gives them access to sea as international law requires.

 

[rubyjackass]

the opposition party should organize economics seminar on the transit issue, they should also sponsor technical talk shows and debate wit gov. That way they'll be able to create the right amount of pressure to force the gov to review its position. This will also make headlines and people will know what is good and what is wrong.

A debate is never bad. The facts will come out. It should include people from infrastructure, finance, economics, international trade and foreign relations background. You seem to have concluded that the outcome should be a review. May be the government did ponder enough before jumping in. The government should also give proper information to people to avoid this misrepresentation of facts by detractors. Then let the people decide what is good.