The New Nation - Internet Edition

M.T.Hussain

Two authentic reports, one about rice import from India and the other shelter building by India in one cyclone- hit area of the 15th November 2007, learnt in Dhaka are somewhat amazing. About three months ago soon after the cyclone Sidr, the Indian government represented by the Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee then making a brief visit to Bangladesh promised for Bangladesh to import 5 million tons of rice from India and also themselves building shelter for some Bangladeshi people in a locality consisting of ten villages in the most devastated area of Sharankhola in southern area. Now after expiry of three months the news is that India has undertaken a treaty permitting Bangladesh to import just only 50,000 Tons of rice, shorter by 450,000 Tons.

The promised shelter building task is yet to begin having had only words and renewed promises by the local administration but in fact not a single shelter by India is built yet. Naturally thousands of poor people in the area have been passing days under open sky for the last three months.

Not only this. Neither our government nor any NGO has been allowed to make any shelter there for even few of the affected people, because, the Indians had promised to take the task there enbloc.

India is Bangladesh's big and powerful neighbor. She can do and undo many things in lending helping hands at times or make unkind postures at her own will and pleasure at other moment. India's natural advantage of land frontier keeps Bangladesh vulnerable on many accounts.

Provided the two countries could maintain cordial relations, both would be gaining. Otherwise, both could be looser. That is why both sides should promote an all time good relations. Unfortunately, the ideal situation is hampered of and on just as the two issues in the current news have been.

I have a personal viewpoint in these two matters. Why should Bangladesh be heavily dependant for rice and other essential food items on India? Can't we go for import from other sources?

Maiyanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and even Pakistan could be alternatively harnessed well ahead of time as regular sources for import of essential food grains.

About the shelter building matter, why should we have given a particular cluster of ten villages in the locality exclusively to India?

Cynics would say that Bangladesh need not add to number of enclaves of India inside Bangladesh territory, because, we have been having in the last 60 years since the partition of British India in 1947 vexing relations in matters of unsettled enclaves between the two from time to time. Instead whatever India wishes to offer for any such shelter-building project, their offer in cash and kind could well be received here with gratitude for us to spend as our end could do according to our own plan and priority.