The New Nation - Internet Edition

Md. Masum Billah

Pranab Mukerjee, the External Affairs Minister of India, paid a visit to Bangladesh with the message of sympathy for our Sidr afflicted populace which we consider the reflection of good and friendly relations between India and Bangladesh. The friendly ties between India and Bangladesh determine the barometer of business, diplomatic relation, stability, peace and prosperity of these two neighbourly states. We heartily welcome the friendly gesture of Indian government with a view to responding to dire necessity of help Bangladesh needs from foreign countries to sustain the devastation caused by cruel sidr. Definitely it's a good and true friendly gesture. This is humanity that the neighbours would stand beside one another in any weal and woe. Our biggest and most important neighbour's timely response has gathered red courage in our hearts and has filled our hearts with some new hopes and aspirations. The significant part of Bangladesh's foreign policy revolves round India due to some valid and practical reasons. India also cannot deny the growing importance of her foreign policy with Bangladesh.

Indian government has already lifted bans for export of 5 lakh metric tons of rice from India to Bangladesh. Bangladesh depends on India for a number of items and issues which indicate the modern and practical aspect of the two unmatchable neighbours. Bangladesh is to import food grain from India on a regular basis which suddenly saw a ban but the Sidr has emerged to slacken it. India also provided 20000 tons of rich as relief to the Sidr affected people. She also promised to rebuild a completely devastated village. Bangladesh attaches serious importance to this sort of quick and timely response of India. But it is unfortunate to note that some known and some unknown causes have made the relation of these two unequal neighboures very bitter and sometime even hostile. Can't we narrow these gaps in the greater interest of this region? What is the harm to annihilate the differences, irritants and odds standing in the way of our good relations?

Bangladesh and India share 4000 kilometers of border and 54 rivers. She has population eight times greater than Bangladesh and GDP twelve times. So, Bangladesh should develop good trade relations with India where products from Bangladesh could enjoy the market of 90 million people. Similarly, Bangladesh should pursue with the Government of India to allow a corridor to Nepal to use our Mongla Port which would help increase trade relations between Nepal and Bangladesh. India should come up with a highly liberal and true friendly gesture to boost up the business ties among three countries. India's misery and close door policy in this regard harms good neighbourly tie.

Flood, draught and dryness come by turns as regular phenomena in Bangladesh because of India's big brotherly attitude toward us. India controls Ganges, Tessta and half a dozen of other major rives causing Bangladesh to face a life threatening situation. During the high monsoons release of massive water form dams in India regularly floods Bangladesh causing tremendous destruction of life and property and during the dry seasons she does not release necessary amount of water for the cultivation of Bangladesh which exercises serious environmental hazard. The saline water of the Bay of Bengal enters into the sweet water area and damages the flora and fauna of the southern region of Bangladesh. India cannot sit idle or overlook this situation as environmental issues spare none.

The relation between India and Bangladesh sometimes shows doubt about each other. Border skirmishes and tension also register a regular phenomena between these two neigbhours. .Indian allegation of Bangladesh harbouring and sheltering extremist dissidents also peeps as a bitter relation. There are issues of enclaves and there is the issue of fencing and cross-borer smuggling which tend to sour the relation. Both India and Bangladesh must open the new chapter of diplomatic relations keeping pace with the practical needs and real demands of the people of these two countries. The domestic polices must also be brought under change as , " foreign policy is the extension of domestic policy"---said by German Chancellor Ottovan Bismarck If domestic policy is not formulated on a correct path a country's foreign policy cannot see real success. Hence small and unimportant irritants sprawling between these two states must be banished in no time. Good relation between India and Bangladesh will bring multi- faceted benefits for all of us.

As development partner of Bangladesh, USA also showed the appreciable part. Sidr has devasted the coastal belt of our country and claimed about ten thousand people. In response to the urgency of the need the United States of America also played a commendable role to mitigate the suffering of the affected people. How nice it is to see and think of the role played by the American Naval forces!

They stood beside the ailing humanity to save their lives and bring them into normalcy. This should be the real spirit and way of helping the ailing humanity with the resources Nature has given to the developed countries. USA sent their ultra modern devices to purify the water and other means to give life to the Sidr battered region of Bangladesh. The world wants to see this humanitarian role of the USA across the globe instead of her questionable role. The high officials' prompt visit including the Charge D Affairs Geeta Vashe to see for themselves how cruelly the evil forces of nature scratched the people of southern belt surfaces the different picture of the United States of America. We salute and offer salam to them for their sincere help and relief work. The existing good relations between America and Bangladesh are gaining ground with the passage of time in spite of Bangladesh being a small but populous country. Their humanitarian operation in the southern belt of Bangladesh once again reminds us that the United States of America is our trusted friend.