The New Nation - Internet Edition

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?