 They have insisted that Bangladesh should not be subject to 'mercy' by any big power and must be provided with palpable benefits in exchange for giving India connectivity under the Asian Highway Network. For Bangladesh, the proposed network, a component of 'distorted' ancient Silk Route pushed by global lenders, should in no way be 'India connectivity', the businessmen said with apprehensions that India is set to gain more from connectivity in any form in improving with its own states through Bangladesh territory. According to their suggestion, Bangladesh would be benefited only if Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand and China are duly connected and engaged in the process of connectivity to boost regional trade. 'Bangladesh should not fall into mercy of any country. The only option for joining the Asian Highway or the ancient Silk Route is the multilateral framework and it should not be based on a single country,' said Anwarul-Ul-Alam Chowdhury Parvez, a former president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association. Abdul Haq, president of Japan-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry, recommended that even in joining the multilateral road network, Dhaka should persuade Delhi to come to a comprehensive agreement on trade, investment, water resources, and even security making it precondition for allowing road connectivity. Both of them pointed out that as the proposed Asian Highway Network has offered India an advantageous position in getting connectivity to its north-eastern states — historically considered hinterland of the delta of Bangladesh due to Bay of Bengal —, the Indian authorities have the moral obligation to maximise Bangladesh's interests from the process of regional integration. Only one of the three proposed routes of the Asian Highway Network — Mongla-Jessore-Hatiqumrul-Dhaka-Kachpur-Chittagong-Cox's Bazar-Teknaf-Myanmar border — is designed to connect Myanmar. The others are Benapole-Jessore-Dhaka-Kachpur-Sylhet-Tamabil and Banglabandha-Hatiqumrul-Dhaka-Kachpur-Sylhet-Tamabil. Dwelling on the restoration of the ancient Silk Route, as mentioned in a recent study report of Asian Development Bank Institute, the business leaders maintained that the 13th Silk Route was not the one shown in the design of the new one. The study titled 'Restoring the Asian Silk Route: Toward an Integrated Asia' also mentioned about development of sub-regional transport corridors such as Kakarvitta–Panitanki–Fulbari–Banglabandha road and Akhaura-Agartala rail link. 'This is not the ancient Silk Route. Yes it could be extended but should not be dominated by a single country.. Countries like Bangladesh should be benefited from multilateral process,' said Parvez adding that India must also bear the costs of infrastructure building for connectivity. Abdul Haq said Delhi must reciprocate the sentiments in and demands from Dhaka to enhance Bangladesh's trade and investment because Bangladesh is already one of the largest markets of Indian goods. 'Since our capacity to negotiate has improved, I think, Bangladesh should properly bargain with this issue and ensure national interests. Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and China should be made partners in the regional cooperation,' said Zafar Osman, president of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He also stressed the importance of resolving political tensions that hindered trade and economic interests of the peoples of regional countries and focussing on economic issues. 'We have to utilise the potential services that we can offer to reduce balance of payments deficit with India,' he added. The executive director of Centre for Policy Dialogue, Mustafizur Rahman, said on Tuesday that Bangladesh might be benefited from trade services to India, if constraints could be overcome through proper political negotiation. 'Certainly there are pending issues but there are ways to overcome them if the political leadership wants to take a decision taking into account maximum economic interests. It could be made win-win,' he said.
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