The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSF killings during bilateral talks

A HIGHLY placed official of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) has informed that a contingent of the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) entered 1.5 kilometres inside Bangladesh territory in Shibganj upazila of Chapainawabganj district and killed two border guards on Thursday. BSF members entered Bangladesh territorial waters without informing the BDR allegedly chasing smugglers by speedboats in the river Padma. Being challenged by a BDR patrol team, they sprayed bullets on them without any provocation and killed Havildar Mohammad Abdul Hannan and Lance Naik Krishna Pada Das on the spot.

BDR retaliated forcing BSF to retreat and seized an engine boat used by the latter. They also arrested an Indian national - a suspected smuggler. A flag meeting was held after the incident. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs lodged a strong protest with the Indian government against the killing terming it 'completely unacceptable’ and asked for appropriate actions against responsible persons and measures to prevent recurrence of such incidents. But BSF killed two Bangladeshi civilians within a couple of days at the Jessore border.

These are considered not isolated incidents of killing. If attempts of smuggling were traced, BSF could alert the BDR to jointly thwart the bid. But, instead, Indian border force illegally trespassed into Bangladesh and caused the bloodshed. If Bangladeshi forces had not shown restraint such incident might have led to more bloodshed. The killings were at a time when the foreign secretaries of Bangladesh and India were holding meetings in New Delhi to resolve various bilateral issues. Bangladesh and India are two neighbours with common border of about 4000 kilometres. When both the countries should pursue mutual confidence building efforts to overcome an atmosphere of historic mistrust, such incidents are likely to cause additional strain on bilateral relations. On no ground should BSF intrude into Bangladesh territory violating the principle of sovereign equality.

Reviving the water transport sector

IN spite of relative advantage over other modes of transport inland water transports have reportedly halved over last thirty years. The World Bank gave such a picture of this traditional and environment friendly transport system in a study report. The share of Inland Water Transport (IWT) in terms of carrying passengers has decreased from sixteen percent in 1975 to eight percent in 2005. In cargo transport, IWT’s share in 1975 was 37 percent, which has reduced to 16 percent within three decades. In contrast, the share of road communication increased from 54 percent in 1975 to as high as 88 percent in 2005.

The study attributed the squeezing of IWT’s share to poor operation conditions and inadequate regulations and involvement of authorities in service delivery. While lack of sufficient attention and inefficient management is a factor in the poor state of this sector, misplaced development priorities ignoring the natural feature of the country is its root cause. The transport development plan failed to give due importance to the network of hundreds of rivers.

Bangladesh has a network of about 24,000 km of rivers. During the monsoon the navigable river route stretches over 6,000 km, which reduces to 3,800 km in the dry season. Transport cost in the waterways is much less. Loss of lives in the waterways is also relatively less. Use of water transport is estimated to save 58.5 million litres of diesel and reduce emission of 155,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. About ten lakh country boats ply along the rivers and constitute a major source of employment in the rural areas. Therefore, comprehensive plans need to be taken up to revive the water transport sector. Motorised water vessels, however, are a potential source of river pollution, which should be kept under check.

Transit: We can not afford it

Abid Bahar

If transit is allowed through the heartland of Bangladesh, it will be as if bringing crocodile through digging a canal. The issue is, the CTG is not an elected government and transit is an issue related to sovereignty, security and economic factors. The News Today Monday July 14 2008 reported: "The [CTG] government earlier was sympathetic about the transit issue. It was in a mood to propose to India to conduct a feasibility study on the rail transit but the Indian High Commissioner''s public statement on this sensitive issue has forced the government to change its earlier position" the source said. Why should CTG show interest in it is a question repeatedly asked in Bangladesh!

Why Bangladesh should never allow land transit to India. Here are the 7 reasons:

1. India has proven itself as an untrustworthy friend/neighbour. During the liberation war, while helping Bangladesh liberation, it secretly built the Farakka dam. "Farakka was commissioned on permission from Mujib on the condition that it will have test run for only 40 days. But unfortunately those 40 days is yet to be finished (even after 37 years) and Bangladesh is getting the pinch of dry rivers. Further 53 other international rivers were stopped by [India;] making barrage/dams/ groins virtually making lower riparian country Bangladesh's rivers dry."

During Bangabandu's rule, the Rakkhi Bahini head was made an Indian. The jute head quarter was transferred to Delhi. With the Mujib -Indira Pact, river demarcation based on the mid current was made for Bangladesh to lose land because the rivers originate from India. Bangladesh is losing land to India, it is now a serious problem. Bangabandu was persuaded to hand over the sovereignty of "BERUBARI" in return of "Tin Bigha."But Tin Bigha was never returned. Lately a Berline wall was built in Bengal to so-called stop Bangladeshis cross the border but mainly intended to permanently divide Bengal. India jammed the Bangladesh TV. As a matter of target practice, India regularly kills Bangladeshi joans in the border region. Even before the investigation, India now blames Bangladesh for every terrorist act within its borders.

History tells us that "due to sinking of several ships in Chittagong Port during Liberation Wart, it was difficult to import tessentials for war torn Bangladesh. Bangladesh requested India to just to allow using Calcutta Port for only six months," that was in 1972. India refused the request."

2. Without the transit, India's seven non Indian sisters in the North East that now depend on Bangladesh for manufactured goods, but with transit, India will sell its own product to the region and Bangladesh will lose.

3. India doesn't want to allow Bangladesh to have land route with Nepal and Bhutan which is purely for trade purpose, India shows the excuse that it goes against its territorial integrity, using the same logic Bangladesh can not allow transit.

"Bangladesh wanted only 16 miles transit to pave for easy trade between two SAARC countries Bangladesh and Nepal." Now India wants 600 miles of corridor. Bangladesh should never allow transit to India.

4. Financial benefit from transit fees would outweigh its other disadvantages; Bangladesh would risk destroying its own roads and highways, infect its citizens AIDS. Roads and highways will be neglected by the chauvinistic Indian traders and military personnel that will be passing through Bangladesh's heartland.

5. India is an unreliable keeper of promises. It failed to keep up to the signed treaties of Farakka's water sharing and the return of Bangladesh terrory in exchange. India first fix these problems than only trust building will lead to transit. RAW fed Indian chauvinistic government will never go for a fair deal because its sole purpose is to help Bangladesh develop into a failed state.

6. Transit through Bangladesh will allow India to increase its repression in its occupied North East. For such repression, Bangladesh suffered in the hand of Pakistan and now as a peace-loving country, it shouldn't allow India to increase its repression over its non Hindi/ largely Asian/ Christian and Buddhist minority people unfortunate for the people that were made part of India. At the same time such a deal would make these Indian separatists rebels find Bangladesh a target.

7. Indian treaties are politically motivated. While Mujib signed the Mujib-Indra 25 year treaty resulting in the trade deficit, water shortage, border issues dispute, and dependence on India to the India friendly Mujib's unpopularity and within a short period of time made Bangladesh bankrupt, Bangabandu's "the bottomless basket case."

Bangabandu's reliance on an untrustworthy friend even brought his own death.

If the past experience with India is a guide, it is believed that people in favor of transit to India are the ignorant India- lovers popularly known in Bangladesh as the "Indian Razakars" who are inviting trouble for Bangladesh. For such an issue we suggest for a national referendum. If people decide, let it be, if not, never!

Why the CTG to bother on the transit issue which the former two elected governments refused to deal with? It appears that the CTG was brought to power by groups aligned with foreign powers, one of them is India. The CTG brought to power through the excuse of anarchy. It seems CTG backed my Moyeen is now showing its responsibility to its constituency-India.

It was through the AL led unrest and anarchy in the late 2006-2007 that evaded the 90 days limit of the CTG duration. It appears that the CTG's corruption charges are simply excuses to have the minus 2 policy and to install a future Moin U military government! This is now evident in General Moin U, Bangladesh government employee illegally receiving the Indian 7 horses.

As it appears, Bangladesh is infested with RAW agents and unrest in the cities and in tribal areas continue while countries like Vietnam and Singapore continue the pace of development.

Under the circumstances, if transit is allowed through the motherland, the Bangladesh country, it will be as if bringing crocodile through digging a canal. Once transit is given, Bangladesh will not be in a position to take it back, for, India is increasingly becoming powerful. It will kill Bangladeshis with the excuse of being terrorists or drug -dealers, as US does in Columbia with its puppet government. India also has super connection with the Super Power US- Israel. For Bangladesh, India is a danger in the making! Never allow transit to India!

With US help, India is building war fleets and submarines with torpedoes. To keep its growing power from Africa up to Australia, in the Indian Ocean, it is arming itself. Without the transit, Bangladesh's existence is almost threatened but with transit, like the US-Pak former friendship, and today's Pakistan, Bangladesh with the CTG's wide-open US-India love policy will be a breeding ground for anti-US- Indian fundamentalism, which ofcourse US wants as an excuse to keep a military dictatorship. Never allow transit to India!

Finally, why India is forcing Bangladesh's nonelected government for a deal? The answer is, it is it's elected government! India is not a trustworthy friend. Its attitude is to create pressure and seek concession. Bangladesh to survive should never allow transit to India.

Bush"s New Cons in Bangladesh! Why Hasina is silent?

The other development that "US Marine Corps wants to survey BD-India border-Collecting detailed terrain intelligence. US has asked for detailed terrain information about major cities including Dhaka as well as for details of all airports and airstrips in Bangladesh." Who are these people taking advantage of the CTG government? Are these the Americans or Bush's New Cons?

D-8 should forge strong bonds

Dr.Abdul Ruff

The 6th summit of D-8, the group of 8 Islamic developing nations, concluded its annual summit in at Hotel Hilton Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on July 08. The leaders of D8 comprising Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey join a growing consensus that biofuel production has contributed more to soaring food prices than was thought to be the case until a few months ago. D-8 called for curtailing biofuels to enhance food price stability.

All D8 members are also the prominent members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference. Unlike the all-powerful G8, the D-8 is a modest union of 8 developing Islamic nations. From its very beginning since 1997, the organization has been focusing on increasing trade and economic cooperation among the member states, and in fact it was the area that provided these countries with an excuse to establish this organization, ostensibly on the initiative of Turkey. Ever since, D-8 leaders meet after every two years to review performance of the past two years. The D-8 forum endorsed the view that the world should halt the development of biofuel crops on arable land and instead boost agricultural production to solve the global food crisis and prevent "disaster", the Malaysian and Indonesian leaders warned at the opening of a developing countries summit.

The summit began with the host Malaysian Prime Minister delivering the inaugural speech. Outgoing D-8 Chairman and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and D-8 Secretary General Dipo Alam also made their statements at the outset of the meet. Prime Minister of Malaysia Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Bangladesh Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed and Pakistani Prime Minister Syed Yousof Raja Gilani represented their countries. Egypt, Nigeria and Turkey were represented at ministerial level. Each presented their countries perspectives on the subject matter.

Abdullah Badawi, the Malaysian prime minister and host, said the use of arable land for biofuels "should be stopped because such action will deepen the global food scarcity and further drive up food prices". "We must not allow the zeal for energy security to come into direct conflict with the basic need for food production," he told the Developing Eight summit in Kuala Lumpur. Badawi also took aim at the oil futures market, suggesting the international community "examine how it might be organized to assist in stabilizing oil prices." He said the summit should send a united message on how to confront the oil and food price crises. Analysts believe the D8 will struggle to reach consensus on what to do about high oil prices because it comprises both significant oil producers and consumers.

Bambang Yudhoyono, the Indonesian president, blamed "some developed countries" for exacerbating the food crisis by allowing biofuel development on arable land. "The idea is to reduce greenhouse gases and to wean themselves away from dependence on fossil fuels," he said in his speech. "It is not a good idea: it has only worsened the global food crisis." He called for joint action by the D8 nations. To delay concerted action on this great challenge of the time, according to him, is to court disaster. Both Badawi and Yudhoyono stressed the need to find ways to boost agricultural production. Neither, however, mentioned whether they would halt, let alone reverse, their planned expansions of oil palm plantations.

Indonesia and Malaysia are, respectively, the world's largest and second largest producers of palm oil, which is becoming increasingly popular as a biofuel. Badawi said the summit should send a united message on how to confront the oil and food price crises. Analysts believe the D8 will struggle to reach consensus on what to do about high oil prices because it comprises both significant oil producers and consumers.

The theme of this year's summit is 'Meeting global challenges through innovative cooperation.' The foreign ministers of summit-D-8 sanctioned a 10-year developmental roadmap. A two-phased roadmap envisaged increased intra-trade from the current five percent to between 15 and 20 percent by 2018. D-8 noted currently, intra-trade between member states is only five percent of the total D-8 global trade, but by the end of 2018, D-8 wants intra-trade to grow to 15 percent to 20 percent of the total D-8 trade. The roadmap from 2008-2013, the main thrust, will focus on D-8 Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) and Rules of Origin (RoO), customs and visa, industrial and business cooperation. The second phase, between 2013-2018, is to achieve intra-trade target of $ 517.5 billion or between 15 percent and 20 percent of D-8 global trade.

The roadmap, among others, also spells out trade facilitations, customs cooperation, capacity building, migrant workers, small and medium-scale enterprises and information and communications technology. The roadmap will also provide the framework for enhancing cooperation, the guideline and formula to implement D-8 programs and projects, assist in mobilizing resources from governmental and non-governmental sectors.

The issues of biofuel harming food security in the world, especially in Third word, including the Muslim states, and sky-rocketing of food prices figured in discussions. In addition, are also facing another big challenge, which is in the form of lack of trade among them. There is a huge trade deficit between them and there is an urgent need to decrease it and has resulted in the backwardness of the Muslim countries. The most urgent need for the Muslim developing countries is that they should put more stress on science and technology along with the health sector. These countries make plans for the development of these fields but they are never implemented. The need of the hour is that the developing Muslim countries should take practical steps for the development of science and technology, health and other related fields if they want to prosper as developed nations.

The Muslim nations are still facing a number of economic challenges. On the other hand, if the EU and the US, which constitute over half the world's exports and imports get only the semi-processed raw materials from the developing countries, the prospect of industrial progress for these developing Muslim countries would be very bleak. Trade deficit has remained the main bottle neck in the growth and development in these countries.

Malaysia's central bank governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz said the D8 nations were now on track to achieve their goal of boosting their intra-grouping trade by 10 to 15 percent by 2018. "It is a guideline for a vision and framework for enhancing cooperation. It covers sectors from investment, agriculture, energy, tourism, transportation, banking and finance. It will also broaden support for the D-8 community, the private sector and the grouping's economic cooperation initiatives.

Bangladesh Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed mooted a five-point recommendation for effective cooperation among the D-8 member-states in areas of energy, food, trade, climate change and migration as the forum leaders met to update their agenda suiting the present context. He called for coordinated action stressing the need for working collectively in ensuring energy security in eight biggest Muslim countries that grouped into the D-8 and proposed to establish financing mechanisms to ensure a steady supply of affordable energy and focus on renewable energy as he said energy security is a must to realize the development potential the member-nations hold. Ahmed also called for creating a D-8 Food Fund to enhance collective food security, because, an unprecedented price-hike of food-grains is disproportionately affecting the poor in many countries. Dr Ahmed expressed the confidence that full implementation of the Preferential Trade Agreement provisions would significantly boost the trade volume and he stressed operationalization of the customs agreement and implementing agreements on simplifications of visa procedures for businessmen and MoU on Air Services Cooperation.

The foreign ministers endorsed a permanent secretariat for the D-8 following a consensus among member states for an annual contribution. There is a wider consensus among the member states to retain the secretariat in Ankara, keeping in view the logistic support extended to it by the Turkish government. The secretariat will be headed by the D-8 secretary general, but chose to defer the matter to the next meeting to be held in 2010.

The D-8 eight Muslim countries have resolved to embark on joint ventures to boost food production and endorsed a 10-year blueprint to expand trade cooperation to halt the shortage and rising prices of food posing a serious threat to socio-economic stability. The summit agreed to take coordinated position in international forums and enhance regional cooperation to promote interests of developing Muslim nations.

The declaration recognized intra-regional mobility of labor as an effective tool for poverty eradication and development. It was also agreed that members would jointly harness the potential of Islamic banking and finance. The trade agreement, to run from 2008 to 2018, details economic and business activities that member nations will pursue over the next decade.

On the critical issue of Climate Change, D-8 members would cooperate in regional and multilateral forums to uphold the sacrosanct principle of 'common but differentiated responsibility'. D8 has resolved to devote more attention towards amelioration of the deprived segments of each society of member-states. The Organization is handicapped by an increasing level of instability and volatile situation in most of the D-8 member countries. They accepted a Bangladesh proposal to consider creation of a D-8 Food Fund. On surging oil prices, the declaration expressed commitment to efforts in the energy sector and acknowledged the importance of collaborative efforts to enhance capacity, transfer of technology, exploration of new sources of supply, development of alternative fuels, including renewable sources, as well as peaceful use of nuclear energy.

Bilateral and multilateral trade among the forum countries is the need of the hour. Leaders from the D-8 group of developing nations adopted an ambitious 10-year roadmap to increase substantially intra-trade between their countries. The summit approved a roadmap to strengthen cooperation between D8 members, particularly on intra-member trade. The aim is to boost this from the current figure of $60bn to $517.5bn within a decade. Bangladesh has ratified the D-8 .Visa Agreement, which would facilitate business travels to Bangladesh from other member-countries. Bangladesh has already been taken various steps to make its workforce skilled and conversant with the tricks of the trade and hopes that Malaysian technical know-how and capital and Bangladeshi labor could make effective combination for a win-win situation for the two countries. Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has appreciated the good working experience of Bangladeshi workforce, getting higher wages, but emphasized that they should be more respectful to the rules and regulations of the land. Badawi remarked that Bangladesh is comparatively peaceful than India and Pakistan in these times of disquiet. Later, an agreement on simplification of visa procedures for D-8 businessmen was signed by Malaysia .

The D-8 summit was held at a time when there was a meeting of the group of eight economic powers, including the US , Britain , Japan , France , Germany , Canada , Russia and Italy . Although there is a difference between these two groups - one is an alliance of developing countries and the other group comprises the world's most developed countries, both groups expressed their serious concern over the rising oil and food prices, affecting all the nations. The developed and the developing countries admitted that the oil and food prices pose a serious challenge to all countries.

The foreign ministers also endorsed a permanent secretariat for the D-8 following a consensus among member-states for an annual contribution. The foreign ministers of the Eight Developing Islamic Countries (D-8) approved the 10-year roadmap for economic collaboration among the member-states, with its focus on a desired boost to trade. This infrastructural facility and would definitely enhance the trade processes of

The entire world has assumed the status of a global village and they are inter-dependent on each other in one form or the other. In this connection the situation in the Muslim countries is very bleak as they are divided on almost every international issue. This global anomaly needs urgent correction.

Biofuels had contributed to rising food prices. Meanwhile, Britain hinted it might reassess its biofuel targets after a review by a former Environment Agency chief indicated that while there is probably enough land to meet agricultural needs until 2020.

The D-8 should also take a common position on liberalization of Mode 1V services to ease the movement of labor to the developed countries. By emulating EU policies, D8 can surely bring progress and prosperity to the people of this region. Among the D-8 countries, Iran and to some extent Egypt possesses oil reserves and can help other members, both these countries should be considerate, and not to be reluctant on one pretext or another, to share it with others. D8 should address the areas that make the member-states unable to move forward and undertake corrective measures in order to perform well in the fields of trade and economy. But D-6 should not get into the trap of the G-8 in privatizing the tire economy.

If the eight Muslim states of the D-8 decide to boost their trade relations among them, it will definitely result in forming a strong bloc and help improve the economic and social conditions of their peoples. Mutual dependence is better than look for external help.

The D8 should consider expanding itself and widening the scope of the forum to achieve greater results in interaction, both at bilateral and multilateral levels, by including more Muslim nations across the globe and it could convene a special summit by inviting all Islamic nations as special invites or observers. A common goal land integrated destiny will take the Islamic nations to greater heights.