Now, let us see how eager the companies become to participate in an important project like this.
Ways of improving India-Bangladesh bilateral relations?
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South Asian Media Net
India-BD energy talks begin today
Thursday, November 19,2009
NEW DELHI: Bangladesh Power Secretary Abul Kalam Azad is visiting New Delhi on Wednesday to hold a preliminary round of energy cooperation talks ahead of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas India visit next month. Azad, who is also accompanied by a delegation, will hold preparatory talks with Indian Power Ministry officials.
Interacting with the media, Azad said the delegation would discuss the modus operandi of importing at least 100 megawatts power from India as offered during the September visit of Foreign Minister Dipu Moni to New Delhi.
Besides, the Bangladesh delegation is expected to hold talks on equity sharing in a power project in Tripura as Dhaka had earlier agreed to offer overland transport facilities through Bangladesh for carrying equipment for the installation.
Azad said the talks with Indian officials would also include the SAARC power grid connectivity and other issues of concern to the people of both countries.
Bangladesh has been reportedly calling for the setting up of a SAARC Grid to facilitate availability of cheap hydropower from Nepal or Bhutan.
The Bangladesh delegation is also likely to discuss future cooperation for human resources and technical development between the Bangladesh Power Development Board and its Indian counterpart state-run power producer.
Setting up of a joint technical team to scrutinize the issue of power inter-connectivity between India and Bangladesh and review the modalities of power purchase on short-term and long-term basis is also likely to figure during the five day talks.
India-BD energy talks begin today
Thursday, November 19,2009
NEW DELHI: Bangladesh Power Secretary Abul Kalam Azad is visiting New Delhi on Wednesday to hold a preliminary round of energy cooperation talks ahead of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas India visit next month. Azad, who is also accompanied by a delegation, will hold preparatory talks with Indian Power Ministry officials.
Interacting with the media, Azad said the delegation would discuss the modus operandi of importing at least 100 megawatts power from India as offered during the September visit of Foreign Minister Dipu Moni to New Delhi.
Besides, the Bangladesh delegation is expected to hold talks on equity sharing in a power project in Tripura as Dhaka had earlier agreed to offer overland transport facilities through Bangladesh for carrying equipment for the installation.
Azad said the talks with Indian officials would also include the SAARC power grid connectivity and other issues of concern to the people of both countries.
Bangladesh has been reportedly calling for the setting up of a SAARC Grid to facilitate availability of cheap hydropower from Nepal or Bhutan.
The Bangladesh delegation is also likely to discuss future cooperation for human resources and technical development between the Bangladesh Power Development Board and its Indian counterpart state-run power producer.
Setting up of a joint technical team to scrutinize the issue of power inter-connectivity between India and Bangladesh and review the modalities of power purchase on short-term and long-term basis is also likely to figure during the five day talks.
Dhaka, Delhi likely to sign 'border haat' agreement during PM's visit
Dhaka, Delhi likely to sign 'border haat' agreement during PM's visit
Nazmul Ahsan
Dhaka and New Delhi are likely to sign a 'border haat (market)' agreement during the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India to ease the hardship of the people residing in either side of the border, particularly in hilly frontiers, sources in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said.
A meeting, held last Thursday at the MoFA, decided to finalise details of the border haat deal ahead of the Prime Minister's visit. The Foreign Minister Dipu Moni presided over the meeting, while Adviser to the Prime Minister HT Imam and top bureaucrats from different ministries and divisions concerned attended.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will fly to India on December 18 next on a three-day official visit.
India sent a 'Concept Paper' on the proposed haat soon after the incumbent government took office, sources said.
The proposed trade under the border haat will be kept outside the purview of the customs duty, foreign trade policy, sanitary & phytosanitary requirements and all sorts of technical barriers to trade, said the concept paper.
India has preferred barter to cash transaction for the proposed trade with a view to checking any illegal money exchange.
Commerce Secretary Firoz Ahmed said the border haats would benefit the population living in either side of the border.
"Population living in the remote frontier areas will be benefited if the border haats are introduced," Firoz told the FE Sunday.
"We are examining every aspect of the proposal before taking any concrete decision before the visit of the Prime Minister to India.'
New Delhi has sent a list of commodities to be traded under the proposed marketing. The commodities include mainly agriculture and cottage items. Border market points, which will be mutually agreed, will be properly marked and fenced to restrict unauthorised movement, says the paper. Selected market places, may be ten kilometres inside the territory of the both the countries from the no-man's land, would be demarcated, an official in the foreign ministry said.
'Specific areas for these 'haats' may be notified, properly marked and fenced to restrict unauthorized trans-border movement,' reads the proposal.
"Entry/exit should be regulated through single gate and record maintained ' at each gate. Frisking/checking during entry and exit should be carried out."
The commodities to be traded in the haats" are- locally produced agriculture commodities, horticulture products including spices whether dried or powdered forms), minor forest products excluding timber), fresh and dry fish, dairy, fishery and poultry products, produces of local cottage industries like gamchha (thin towels), wooden furniture and cane products manufactured by local population, utensils and equipment of iron for sowing and agriculture purposes like dao, plough, axe, spade, chisel etc.
"The list mentioning commodities which can be traded in border haats should be notified and displayed prominently," reads the Indian concept paper.
"The trade should be based on barter system and there should be no exchange of currency as it may lead to mushrooming of illegal money exchanges."
Border haats should be held once a week or fortnight or month, and be closed latest by 3 pm, the proposal said.
A standard operational procedure has been proposed to regulate the haats, where security forces of both the countries would not enter.
"No security forces of Bangladesh and India will be allowed to enter these haats. However, representatives of security agencies, who are conversant with the situation, may be allowed access to these haats for specific purposes," reads the proposal.
The concept paper, however, expressed concerns over possible introduction of criminal activities and smuggling in the way of operating the proposed border trade.
'The setting up of border haats along the India-Bangladesh border should address perceived security concerns, namely, trans border criminal activity, smuggling, illegal migration, movement of insurgence terrorists etc,' reads the paper.
"Hopefully, we would be able to take a positive decision towards signing the border haat agreement with India ahead of the PM's visit to India so that agreement is signed,'' a top foreign ministry official told the FE.
"Commodities to be traded under the proposed haats and the locations and the number of haats might be finalized after the signing of the agreement", he said.
However, the experience of border market (trade) between India and Bangladesh was not pleasant. The system was introduced in April 1972, but was cancelled in 1973 amid rampant smuggling along the boarder areas that made the formal market system redundant.
A total of 181 land customs stations were established across the borders in 1972 by the then government to operate the trading system, Operations of around 130 such stations were suspended soon after the government decided not to continue border trade.
Trading of all kinds of commodities, excepting yarn, milk powder, sugar and potato, were allowed at that time. Even then, there were gross violations of whatever restrictions remained, leading to suspension of the bilateral trade arrangement only after a brief period.
"Proposed border haats would seriously hamper normal trade between the two neighboring countries as the past experience had been painful," Mohammed Shahabuddin, former National Board of Revenue official told the FE.
Whatever stringent regulations are enforced to restrict smuggling will all go in vain. Such steps were also enforced during the post independence period, but those did not work, he added.
The people living in either side of the border are very much prone to the vice of smuggling, he said further.
Two-way trade is heavily tilted to India as Bangladesh's exports figured $276.58 million against her imports of $ 2.84 billion from India in the 2008-09 fiscal year.
Dhaka, Delhi likely to sign 'border haat' agreement during PM's visit
Nazmul Ahsan
Dhaka and New Delhi are likely to sign a 'border haat (market)' agreement during the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India to ease the hardship of the people residing in either side of the border, particularly in hilly frontiers, sources in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said.
A meeting, held last Thursday at the MoFA, decided to finalise details of the border haat deal ahead of the Prime Minister's visit. The Foreign Minister Dipu Moni presided over the meeting, while Adviser to the Prime Minister HT Imam and top bureaucrats from different ministries and divisions concerned attended.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will fly to India on December 18 next on a three-day official visit.
India sent a 'Concept Paper' on the proposed haat soon after the incumbent government took office, sources said.
The proposed trade under the border haat will be kept outside the purview of the customs duty, foreign trade policy, sanitary & phytosanitary requirements and all sorts of technical barriers to trade, said the concept paper.
India has preferred barter to cash transaction for the proposed trade with a view to checking any illegal money exchange.
Commerce Secretary Firoz Ahmed said the border haats would benefit the population living in either side of the border.
"Population living in the remote frontier areas will be benefited if the border haats are introduced," Firoz told the FE Sunday.
"We are examining every aspect of the proposal before taking any concrete decision before the visit of the Prime Minister to India.'
New Delhi has sent a list of commodities to be traded under the proposed marketing. The commodities include mainly agriculture and cottage items. Border market points, which will be mutually agreed, will be properly marked and fenced to restrict unauthorised movement, says the paper. Selected market places, may be ten kilometres inside the territory of the both the countries from the no-man's land, would be demarcated, an official in the foreign ministry said.
'Specific areas for these 'haats' may be notified, properly marked and fenced to restrict unauthorized trans-border movement,' reads the proposal.
"Entry/exit should be regulated through single gate and record maintained ' at each gate. Frisking/checking during entry and exit should be carried out."
The commodities to be traded in the haats" are- locally produced agriculture commodities, horticulture products including spices whether dried or powdered forms), minor forest products excluding timber), fresh and dry fish, dairy, fishery and poultry products, produces of local cottage industries like gamchha (thin towels), wooden furniture and cane products manufactured by local population, utensils and equipment of iron for sowing and agriculture purposes like dao, plough, axe, spade, chisel etc.
"The list mentioning commodities which can be traded in border haats should be notified and displayed prominently," reads the Indian concept paper.
"The trade should be based on barter system and there should be no exchange of currency as it may lead to mushrooming of illegal money exchanges."
Border haats should be held once a week or fortnight or month, and be closed latest by 3 pm, the proposal said.
A standard operational procedure has been proposed to regulate the haats, where security forces of both the countries would not enter.
"No security forces of Bangladesh and India will be allowed to enter these haats. However, representatives of security agencies, who are conversant with the situation, may be allowed access to these haats for specific purposes," reads the proposal.
The concept paper, however, expressed concerns over possible introduction of criminal activities and smuggling in the way of operating the proposed border trade.
'The setting up of border haats along the India-Bangladesh border should address perceived security concerns, namely, trans border criminal activity, smuggling, illegal migration, movement of insurgence terrorists etc,' reads the paper.
"Hopefully, we would be able to take a positive decision towards signing the border haat agreement with India ahead of the PM's visit to India so that agreement is signed,'' a top foreign ministry official told the FE.
"Commodities to be traded under the proposed haats and the locations and the number of haats might be finalized after the signing of the agreement", he said.
However, the experience of border market (trade) between India and Bangladesh was not pleasant. The system was introduced in April 1972, but was cancelled in 1973 amid rampant smuggling along the boarder areas that made the formal market system redundant.
A total of 181 land customs stations were established across the borders in 1972 by the then government to operate the trading system, Operations of around 130 such stations were suspended soon after the government decided not to continue border trade.
Trading of all kinds of commodities, excepting yarn, milk powder, sugar and potato, were allowed at that time. Even then, there were gross violations of whatever restrictions remained, leading to suspension of the bilateral trade arrangement only after a brief period.
"Proposed border haats would seriously hamper normal trade between the two neighboring countries as the past experience had been painful," Mohammed Shahabuddin, former National Board of Revenue official told the FE.
Whatever stringent regulations are enforced to restrict smuggling will all go in vain. Such steps were also enforced during the post independence period, but those did not work, he added.
The people living in either side of the border are very much prone to the vice of smuggling, he said further.
Two-way trade is heavily tilted to India as Bangladesh's exports figured $276.58 million against her imports of $ 2.84 billion from India in the 2008-09 fiscal year.
This is another indian instrument awami govt is implementing to destry local industries specially the small ones. As repot mention same thing Awami govt did in 1972 and smuggling of indian goods flooded the market. This time awami govt making that destruction parmanent by signing the treaty.
build an independent nation free of influence by India
So you wanted to create a nation free of influence by India.. So why expect India to help when you're in dire straits (read famines, floods, typhoons)?
No nations helps another without seeing possible returns be it diplomatic influence or otherwise.
On the other hand, India organized the killing of one of our Presidents in 1981, who tried to steer away his country from the influence of India and to forge strong relationship with China.
the tyrant India
So having the influence of China is no problem but "Tyrant India" who lost sons of her soil to give you your country is a strict no no.. why because Hindus live in India?? and as we know from your flame directed at me on Zaid Hameed thread Hindus are bigots and what not (Hindus are possibly trying to defeat Islam and it's people.. isn't this what is really disturbing you?)
Accept it you are hardcore anti-hindu dude.. you have a phobia against anything related to India because you don't trust Hindus and possibly hate them from deep down inside your heart.
moderate like me
phhbbt yeah right
india wants to impose its hegemony under the package of subservient relation
Yeah so licking chinese ***** won't be a subservient in anyway huh?
Fact that Bangladeshi people resent that, india and Indians trying to use religious and extremist label on Bangladeshis.
look at the following extracts from your comments carefully and tell me what would a neutral guy think of you and people like you in Bangladesh. Here it goes:
indian hegemonic and dominating desire actually embolden by hindu extremism itself.
While bjp hegemonic policy guided by raw extremism, congress hegemonic policy guided by refined version of that hindu supremacy.
What is with the muslims in the neighboring countries?? why all this Hindu phobia eh? .. are you fearing that since we once ruled with low-life hindus and now with their new found economic strength they might get back at us??
If you are not even Allah can save you cause the enemy is not on the other side of the border.. it is within YOU!!
And finally the dalit and minority oppression card that every(muslim) neighbor of India like to play at the drop of hat!!
Even in their own country, 200 million of it Dalits, another 250 millions of Muslims could not escape from supression of indian society and culture.
First of all these are social issues which cannot be solved in a day or two.. It takes generations to change societies mindset. Example would be racism against blacks in US. It took a generation to change society's mindset and FYI we the current generation of India do not give weight to caste anymore. So hopefully things should improve exponentially from now.
Now lets come to "suppressed minority", all you Pakis and BDs like to shout at the top of your lungs about this issue eh? .. Muslims in India are far better off than muslims in Pakistan and Bangladesh. And if you didn't know Congress is far from what you think of it. It's a minority appeaser hell our PM has said that muslims have the first right on nations resources!!! Lets talk about situation of minorities in Pakistan and Bangladesh.. Care to tell me how they are living if at all they have been left alone to practice their faiths and note converted to Islam by force or coercion?? .. You say muslims ar esuppressed in India whats the situation of Hindus in your countries huh??
Stop this hindu phobia that you guys thrive and live for.. open your eyes South Asia cannot prosper if guys like you have the same mindset!!
Who ever begs help from a poor India. You must be mistaken about cyclones. Every country helps other countries in a situation like that. It is a part of diplomacy. But, I find only small-hearted iNDIANS LIKE TO brag about that. You are really pitiful.
Bangladesh also sent relief materials in Orlando flood in USA. Should we take over half of USA now...
What about srilanka, myanmar, siera leon, bhutan etc. Should we take them over too????
Because of the attitude problem of many Indians I would like to say, 'India is a giant, but is inhabited by very small ant-like people.' Hi Indians, grow up and be big like your country.
Iggy
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You totally got it wrong..You said you want an independent country with out any Indian influence..tell me one thing who is your closest neighbor of your country??Who can send you relief materials in a natural disaster faster??India??China??or Pakistan?? Even if you don't want to do anything with India you will be compelled to do it because of the strategic and geographic features...
It is not India that immediately helped us after SIDR cyclone in 2007. It was American navy ships that promptly arrived and distributed many tons of bottled water from their own stock in the ship. I would say this has saved many thosand lives, because all the surface water was spoiled due to the intrusion of sea water. Americans always do humanitarian jobs throughout the world.
You cannot say, it was India that unilaterally helped us. It was the entire world in a situation like this. Close proximity does not result in quick delivery in emergency. India has not yet built an efficient system to tackle an emergency.
I think, even our own internal system to tackle emergency is better than India. It is because of many years of continuous onslaught by the cyclones and natural disasters. However, we have a long way to go. We must build concrete shelters along the coastal belt and also build food warehouses.
I think, you have been influnced by the Indian newspapers, who, naturally, printed only India's own story how it was helping BD after SIDR. I would like to add one more sentence. Prophet Muhammed (SAW) taught us that when your right hand gives away something to someone, even your own left hand is not be told about that.
@eastwatch
After the Asian tsunami India did not accept any aid from outside - the need was dire - many thousands were killed in Andamans and Tamil Nadu. India helped other Asian nations to a very large extent. Sri Lanka, Maldives and Indonesia can testify to this fact.
And India's disaster management is definitely very good these days - please worry about your own systems - we will worry about ours - Thank you very much.
We don't need outside support in case of disasters in India. WE have the requisite resources to deal with the problems ourselves. Aid from outside is normally a friendly gesture to show solidarity. Local aid is much more effective
After the Asian tsunami India did not accept any aid from outside - the need was dire - many thousands were killed in Andamans and Tamil Nadu. India helped other Asian nations to a very large extent. Sri Lanka, Maldives and Indonesia can testify to this fact.
And India's disaster management is definitely very good these days - please worry about your own systems - we will worry about ours - Thank you very much.
We don't need outside support in case of disasters in India. WE have the requisite resources to deal with the problems ourselves. Aid from outside is normally a friendly gesture to show solidarity. Local aid is much more effective
TopCat
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Our disaster management system is followed by many countries including USA and India. We are experienced and good at this as we have to face those twice a year. India did send their expert to look at our system and we trained them and there is nothing wrong with it. There is nothing wrong in acceting outside help in case of emergency or natatural disaster. Even USA accept it with gratification.
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