I think you underestimate the potential of Bangladesh which seems to be a perennial problem for us with even our own citizens undermining our abilities and prospects. If it was matter of money then these agreements would have been signed long ago. So what was the hold-up. There must have been something of such importance to us as a nation that we have rejected these in the past. I think you will find few people arguing that BNP is a patriotic party. It waves the flag and spits at India only before elections and then afterwards it starts kissing and hugging India no end. We have to decide whether these agreements are in the national interest and balance any advantages that might be attained. Compromising on our national interest and soveriegnty is never an option or why bother to fight in 1971.
On Mon, Feb 9, 2009 at 9:44 PM, Cyrus <thoughtocrat@yahoo.com> wrote:
What is with this old school protectionism? Where were all these patriotic people when BNP govt. was giving India concessions left and right? If it brings a few hundred millions in taxes and transit fees, I say, so be it. God knows we could use the money, since Madam and her two sons had successfully bankrupted the country.
From: Isha Khan <bd_mailer@yahoo.com>
To: zoglul@hotmail.co.uk; mbimunshi@gmail.com; rehman.mohammad@gmail.com; mahmudurart@yahoo.com; farhadmazhar@hotmail.com; adelm@uapb.edu; premlaliguras@hotmail.com; dhakamails@yahoogroups.com; khabor@yahoogroups.com; alochona@yahoogroups.com; bdresearchers@yahoogroups.com; bangla-vision@yahoogroups.com; mouchakaydheel@yahoo.com; janashah_1@yahoo.com; jason@prio.no; odhora@yahoogroups.com; ayeshakabir@yahoo.com; sayantha15@yahoo.com; shahin72@gmail.com; ghazala.khi@gmail.com; minarrashid@yahoo.com; history_islam@yahoogroups.com; jangoonetilleke@aol.com; editorazad@gmail.com; newtimes47@gmail.com
Sent: Friday, February 6, 2009 8:26:29 PM
Subject: [ALOCHONA] Fw: RE: The trade agreement between Bangladesh and India :Full text
--- On Fri, 2/6/09, Zoglul Husain <zoglul@hotmail. co.uk> wrote:
Thank you for circulating the Trade Agreement.
We will say 'NO' to TIFA, Transit (Corridor) and Taskforce, whatever the government does about it! The whole nation needs to organise resistance against these, and it will be organised gradually. The nation will not accept the humiliation of Bangladesh becoming a vassal state. If BAL, or any other party, betrays the nation, they will have to bear the consequences! Today is of course not the last day of history.
However, the BNP interpreted their renewal of the Trade Agreement as below, as reported today 6 February 2009 by 'Yahoo News India':
Only Bangladeshi vehicles to transport Indian goods: opposition
![]()
Fri, Feb 6 11:12 AM
Dhaka, Feb 6 (IANS) As Dhaka prepares to allow transit access to India as part of a trade pact, its main opposition has stipulated that Indian goods could only be transported in Bangladeshi vehicles.
M.K. Anwar, vice president of the Khaleda Zia-led Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), told The Daily Star newspaper Thursday that Bangladesh had signed many treaties with India in the past, 'but most of them were not implemented due to the non-cooperation from the other side'.
'Both sides differed on different conditions,' he said hours after a special cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina cleared a three-year trade treaty that would also provide for passage of goods between two places in one county through the territory of the other.Zia has been warning Hasina against signing 'any anti-national treaty with foreign countries' and has threatened to take to the streets.
However, indicating a climbdown, Anwar said: 'We have no objection to Indian goods being transported by Bangladeshi vehicles, but we won't accept if Indian vehicles are allowed to use our territory to carry goods from the country's (India) one part to another.'
Transit facility has been a long-pending plea of India that is eager to reach out to its north-eastern region.It has said that it is an economic issue, not a political one.The Sheikh Hasina government, installed last month, appears to agree to this principle.
'My government will not hesitate to sign any agreement in the interest of the country and for the welfare of the people,' Hasina said after the cabinet meeting.
Commerce Minister, Col (retd.) Faruk Khan, who will be signing the treaty with Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee Monday, has called trade 'a weapon in politics,' and deprecated critics of the transit pact.
The Bangladesh-India trade agreement was first signed in 1980 between then state minister for commerce, Tanvir Ahmed Siddiqui, and India's then commerce, mine and steel minister Pranab Mukherjee.
It was last renewed March 21, 2006 with the signing of the treaty between then finance and planning minister M. Saifur Rahman and India's then commerce and industry minister Kamal Nath in New Delhi.
Bangladesh has the highest trade imbalance of about $1.19 billion with India.
Khan said duty-free access of Bangladeshi goods would also be discussed with Mukherjee, as Dhaka aims to reduce this trade gap.Khan also said issues related to maritime boundary, sharing water of common rivers and border demarcation would also be on the agenda.
Date: Thu, 5 Feb 2009 17:46:52 -0800
From: bd_mailer@yahoo. com
Subject: The trade agreement between Bangladesh and India :Full text
To: zoglul@hotmail. co.uk; mbimunshi@gmail. com; rehman.mohammad@ gmail.com; mahmudurart@ yahoo.com; farhadmazhar@ hotmail.com; adelm@uapb.edu; premlaliguras@ hotmail.com; dhakamails@yahoogro ups.com; khabor@yahoogroups. com; alochona@yahoogroup s.com; bdresearchers@ yahoogroups. com; bangla-vision@ yahoogroups. com; mouchakaydheel@ yahoo.com; janashah_1@yahoo. com; jason@prio.no; odhora@yahoogroups. com; ayeshakabir@ yahoo.com; sayantha15@yahoo. com; shahin72@gmail. com; ghazala.khi@ gmail.com; minarrashid@ yahoo.com; history_islam@ yahoogroups. com; jangoonetilleke@ aol.com; editorazad@gmail. com; newtimes47@gmail. com
http://www.thedaily star.net/ story.php? nid=74636
The trade agreement between Bangladesh and India renewed on March 21, 2006 and signed by the then finance minister M Saifur Rahman and Indian commerce and industry minister Kamal Nath in New Delhi is as follow:
The Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh,
Being conscious of the urge of their two peoples to enlarge areas of mutual co-operation;
Desirous of expanding trade and strengthening economic relations between the two countries on the basis of equality and mutual benefit;
Have agreed as follows:
Article I
The two Governments recognizing the need and requirement of each other in the context of their developing economies undertake to explore all possibilities, including economic and technical cooperation, for promotion, facilitation, expansion and diversification of trade between the two countries on the basis of equality and mutual benefit.
Article II
The two Governments agree to take appropriate measures in accordance with the evolving international trading system for mutual benefit of developing countries and least developed countries in so far as such measures are consistent with their individual, present and future development, financial and trade facilitation.
Article III
The two Governments agree that expansion of their mutual trade exchanges would make an important contribution towards their development. To this end, they agree to take appropriate and special measures during periodic reviews taking into account the asymmetries between the two countries with a view to augmenting and diversifying their mutual trade specially in respect of specific products as may be agreed upon.
Article IV
All payments and charges in connection with trade between the two countries shall continue to be effected in freely convertible currencies in accordance with the foreign exchange regulations in force in each country from time to time.
Article V
Imports and exports of commodities and goods produced or manufactured in India or Bangladesh, as the case may be, shall be permitted in accordance with the import, export and foreign exchange laws, regulations and procedures in force in either country from time to time taking into account asymmetries between the two countries.
Article VI
Each Government shall accord to the commerce of the country of the other Government, treatment no less than that accorded to the commerce of any third country.
Article VII
The provisions of Article VI shall not prevent the grant or continuance of:-
a) Privileges which are or may be granted by either of the two Governments in order to facilitate frontier trade by separate agreement(s) ;
b) Advantages and privileges which are or may be granted by either of the respective neighbouring countries;
c) Advantages resulting from any customs union, a free trade area or similar arrangements which either of the two Governments has concluded or may conclude in the future.
d) Advantages or preferences accorded under any scheme for expansion of trade and economic cooperation among developing countries, which is open for participation by all developing countries, and to which either of the two Governments is or may become a party.
Article VIII
The two Governments agree to make mutually beneficial arrangements for the use of their waterways, roadways and railways for commerce between the two countries for passage of goods between two places in one country through the territory of the other.
Article IX
Each Government will grant merchant vessels of the other country while entering, putting off and lying at its ports the most-favoured- nation treatment accorded by their respective laws, rules and regulations to the vessels under the flag of any third country.
Both the Governments agree on the basis of shipper's preference, to utilize to the maximum extent possible, the vessels owned/chartered by shipping organizations of the two countries concerned for shipping cargoes imported or exported under this Agreement at competitive freight rates.
Article X
The two Governments agree to cooperate effectively with each other to prevent infringement and circumvention of the laws, rules and regulations of either country in regard to matters relating to foreign exchange and foreign trade.
Article XI
The two Governments agree to accord, subject to their respective laws and regulations, reasonable facilities for the holding of trade fairs and exhibitions and visits of business and trade delegations sponsored by the Government concerned.
Article XII
In order to facilitate the implementation of this Agreement, the two Governments shall consult each other at least once in a year or earlier as and when necessary, and shall review the working of the Agreement with special attention to the asymmetries between the two countries.
Article XIII
This amended Agreement shall come into force on the 1st April, 2006. It shall remain in force for a period of three years. It may be extended by a further period of three years by mutual consent subject to such modifications as may be agreed upon.
Done in New Delhi, on the 21st March, 2006, in two original copies, each in Hindi, Bangla and English, all the texts being equally authentic. In case of difference, the English text shall prevail.
(Kamal Nath)
Minister of Commerce and Industry, Government of the Republic of India
(M. Saifur Rahman)
Minister for Finance & Planning, Government of People's Republic of Bangladesh
Beyond Hotmail - see what else you can do with Windows Live Find out more!
--
MBI Munshi
Facebook ID - Mohammad Munshi
__._,_.___
[Disclaimer: ALOCHONA Management is not liable for information contained in this message. The author takes full responsibility.]
To unsubscribe/subscribe, send request to alochona-owner@egroups.com
Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe
__,_._,___