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Monday, April 18, 2011

[ALOCHONA] Re: Free transit



Mr. Ramjan, I hear your concern, hoping it is your genuine concern not hatred for Hindustan! However you can not just stop cross border trade forever which benefits both nations immensely.

Pakistan and India started their cross border trade (trucking) probably since third quarter of 2008 through one of the most dangerous and disturbing Indo-Pak border Line of Control of Jammu/Azad Kashmir. Risk of HIV could not stop the buisness among Pakistan and India.No country of the world will close their door and windows and isolate them from rest of the world.

However we have to take strict measure so that truckers will have no access to prostitution and their stay in our land and our truckers in their land will be monitored. HIV itself dose not spread without sexual or blood transfusion or extreme physical contact.

Watch this video on Indo-Pak trans border trade: http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/news/india-pak-all-set-for-cross-border-trade/41825 

Thanks,
Shamim Chowdhury
Maryland, U.S.A.

--- In alochona@yahoogroups.com, Mohammed Ramjan <mramjan@...> wrote:
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> We afraid that HIV will spread rapidly in Bangladesh. India is uncontrolled and one of the highest numbered HIV infected nation. Its HIV spread mainly with moving drivers.
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> Muslim Bengal due its moral high (Islamic value) still conserve itself and away from free mixing / extra marital relations / standing against law guarded prostitution, whilest the India is decayed, became a waste bin / dustbin of all moral degradation, Hasian-Hindustan hanimoon relation will diverse Bangladesh to that short of degradation. Thus uncontrolled Indian Driver will spread HIV in Bangladesh.
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> Therefore, it must be stopped with immediat effect the transit route through Bangladesh
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> To:
> From: bdmailer@...
> Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2011 07:41:48 +0600
> Subject: [ALOCHONA] Re: Free transit
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> Free transit to India?
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> Abdul Quader
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> Freedom of transit through the territory of one country to another country is a standard trade facility under the World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules. Article V of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) updated in 1994 stipulates the scope and application of these rules.
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> One of the provisions of the Article V states that "traffic in transit shall be exempt from customs duties and from all transit duties or other charges imposed in respect of transit, except charges for transportation or those commensurate with administrative expense entailed by transit or with the cost of services rendered." Thus, Bangladesh cannot impose any customs duties or transit duties for goods entering its territory from one part of India for destination to other parts (such as the Eastern part).
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> So far, so good. I think what is not being pursued in earnest by the Bangladesh government is collecting administrative fees and other charges for services provided to India in its transportation of goods through Bangladesh, whether using Bangladesh's roads, railways or rivers. There is no bar to collecting such fees and charges under the WTO rules.
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> A recent article in a newspaper in Bangladesh quoted Dr. Mashiur Rahman, adviser to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on economic affairs, as saying that Bangladesh will be called "uncivilised" if it charges any fees for providing transit facilities to India. I consider that the view expressed by Dr. Rahman does not make sense as the WTO rules provide for such legitimate fees and charges except customs duties or transit duties for transport of goods through another country.
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> Is Egypt an "uncivilised" country because it charges "transit tolls" for foreign ships passing through the Suez Canal? Like Bangladesh, Egypt is a WTO member. Egypt collects transit tolls for ships and vessels passing through the Suez Canal. The Suez Canal Authority of Egypt collects these tolls based on net tonnage of goods transported in transit. The transit toll also depends on the type of vessels passing through the canal -- for example tankers of crude oil or petroleum products, LPG or LNG carriers, container ships and general cargo ships.
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> I think it is against the national interest of Bangladesh to give India a free ride on traffic in transit. While Bangladesh cannot charge transit duties, it should charge administrative fees and other expenses associated with the use of its infrastructure, including the use of roads, railways and rivers based on the actual costs involved. The charging of any fees should not be treated as a customs revenue raising exercise, rather it could be based on the user-pays principle.
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> This will be in line with the view of Finance Minister A.M.A. Muhith, who announced last year that Bangladesh will take "something" from India for using infrastructure facilities for transport of goods. To be consistent with his announcement, it is now incumbent on him to show real political will and leadership and take credible action to get that "something" from India.
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> Insincere political statements and subservient foreign policy will not bring any benefit to the country. Creation of confusion by those in power on issues of great national significance creates further problems, with potential adverse impact on public trust in the government and its machineries of administration.
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> If the Hasina government continues to be surrounded by the so-called "civilised" advisers, it will not receive right, objective and robust advice on the governance of the country. Sycophants and self-seeking advisers or ministers love clinging to power and authority without doing any real service to the prime minister in terms of good governance that benefits the nation and the party in power as well.
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> Sycophants do harm to the nation through their public behaviour and actions. They understand what is right or wrong but pursue the wrong with the intent of either appeasing their political masters or securing personal benefit. These people are quite clever. Sometimes they pretend to be loyal to an ideology but are actually self-serving in the ultimate analysis.
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> To conclude, Bangladesh will not be an "uncivilised" nation if it charges "something" from India for the traffic in transit.
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> The writer is an Economist.
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> http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=181364
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> On Mon, Apr 11, 2011 at 8:23 AM, Isha Khan bdmailer@... wrote:
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> User fee for transit facilities, not transit fee suggested
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> It suggested that the government should not impose any transit fee for only geographical advantages unless the country (Bangladesh) provides any services involving cost or expenses for the routes,
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> The core committee in its report on transit has recommended for imposition of a 'user fee' on use of transit facilities by the neighbouring countries of India, Nepal and Bhutan.It suggested that the government should not impose any transit fee for only geographical advantages unless the country (Bangladesh) provides any services involving cost or expenses for the routes, the report said.
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> "….transit trade cannot be subject to any customs duties or fees/ charges that are purely transit-related unless the transit entails some costs for the host country," the report of sub-committee-3 titled, 'economic of transit access to India, Nepal and Bhutan through Bangladesh,' said.The committee recently submitted its study report to the commerce ministry suggesting imposition of user fee on cost involvement-related transit. It has also calculated an estimated cost for the required investment and identified potential routes for transit.
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> Dr. Sadiq Ahmed, vice chairman of Policy Research Institute (PRI) and head of the subcommittee, said: "It is against international convention on charging any fees for transit, based on geographical advantage alone."A country can impose user charges to other country in case of any cost or expenditure involved for offering the facility, Ahmed said, who is a leading economist of the country.It will be justified to slap user charges if any country takes services on use of transit, he said.
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> The core committee report said, it will be misleading if any host country charges any transit fee as a percentage of cost saving for the landlocked country. The committee proposed imposition of user fee on transportation services, administrative expenses (e.g costs of inspection etc) and use of any services."..if any guest countries use their own transport facility (ships, trucks or trains), transit may involve the use of port services, road services, or rail network services from the host countries," the report said.It defined those as 'economic services' which need investment, operation and maintenance cost.
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> The report said the guest countries are obliged to pay user fee for these services in the transportation process.For road transit, the committee identified four elements on which user charges can be imposed. Those are, road damage cost, accident externalities, congestion costs and environmental costs.
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> The report suggested transit fees for each truck at the rate of US$11.2 per 100 kilometre or $55.6 per trip. The fees include capital charge, routine and periodic maintenance, rehabilitation, traffic control and enforcement.
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> The core committee estimated US$ 7.13 billion or Tk 499.261 billion investments for infrastructure development on its identified routes for providing transit facilities for India, Nepal and Bhutan.The committee estimated the investment for the next ten years to develop the rail, water and road routes. It has also expressed concern over effective implementation of the transit agreements with the existing capacity and quality of road and rail infrastructure of Bangladesh.
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> Development of the road networks will require highest investment worth Tk 119.41 billion, followed by rail network at Tk 320.234 billion and inland water transport at Tk 11.715 billion, the report said.
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> According to the inland water protocol of 1972, India is enjoying transit and transshipment facilities on the river routes without any fees, excepting an annual maintenance charge.
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> Recently India has started using country's Ashuganj port to transship heavy equipments of Palatana power project in its state of Tripura. The core committee on transit identified seven routes for road transit followed by six routes for rail transit and three new routes for inland water transport.
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> Currently, only inland water transit is active which India is using for transshipment. Other routes, rail and road, require a large amount of investment to offer transit and transshipment facilities to India, Nepal and Bhutan.
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> The core committee also identified three potential new rail routes and two for inland water transport.It has identified the routes on the basis of distance, travel time and financial cost advantage.
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> The study has estimated 17.64 million tonnes of annual transit traffic after diversion of 41 per cent traffic to Chittagong port.'…the expected volume of transit will likely be substantial and in excess of 17 million tonnes per year," the study report said.The study report suggests improvement of port terminal facilities including docking, loading and unloading, storage and other facilities to meet international standards.
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> It also laid emphasis on investment in river dredging, road and rail networks through mutual agreements with India.Five sub-committees have finalized their reports on routes, the required infrastructure, transit traffic, economic analysis and legal issues, he said.
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> Talking to the FE Saturday, Bangladesh Tariff Commission (BTC) Chairman Dr Mojibur Rahman, who is the convener of the core committee, said: "We have submitted the report to the commerce ministry within the given time-frame, by March 31." He declined to comment on the issue as it is under review of the commerce ministry.
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> http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/more.php?news_id=132208&date=2011-04-11
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[ALOCHONA] Muslim women should be thankful to France.

France means, country of French. Who the hell are you to tell them, how to run their country Beggars, living off Charity of French ...!

--- In alochona@yahoogroups.com, Mohammed Ramjan <mramjan@...> wrote:
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> Mr. Akbar Hussain
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> Long writing no time to read.
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> Mulla is follower of Islam. Islam is the only way of life piece for the human being in all respects.
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> French Ban Veil, they will , because they decayed, one island in Frence for nudity, man and women run in the jungle in nude state so how they will allow veil ?
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> Know thyself
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> Mohamed Ramjan
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> Kuwait
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> To: alochona@yahoogroups.com
> From: akbarh1950@...
> Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2011 21:15:26 -0400
> Subject: [ALOCHONA] Muslim women should be thankful to France.
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> The French ban on Islamic veil is in effect from 11 Apr. By law it has been prohibited and any violation will face penalties. The mullahs are cursing France by asking Allah's wrath in the country. As per the statistics the handful of Muslim women who wear niqab or veil are numbering around 2000 only. But the western world, especially France has taken such a stern measure against this primitive practice? The rise of extremist Islam since 9/11 has taken a vow to establish a brand of Islam rooted in the 7th century Arabian culture and according to them veil is an essential part of it. The social and cultural history of the Arabs does not essentially mention this practice.
> Veiling did not exist in early Arabia, but Mohammed admonished women to cover them modestly, and his own wives were veiled in public. Mohammed's wives set the example, and gradually the veil became a sign of prestige.
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> Adherence to traditional dress varies across Arab societies. Saudi Arabia is more traditional, while Egypt is less so. Women are required to wear abayas in only Saudi Arabia; this is enforced by the religious police. This restricts their economic participation and other activities and also demeans them as equal citizens. In most countries, like Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Jordan, Syria and Egypt, the veil is not mandatory. In Tunisia, the secular government has banned the use of the veil in its opposition to religious extremism. Former Tunisian President called the veil sectarian and foreign and has stressed the importance of traditional Tunisian dress as a symbol of national identity. Islamic feminism counters both sorts of externally imposed dress codes.
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> Outside the Arab world veil was never a dress for the women. When Islam was shipped to those lands the preachers made the Arab culture an essential part of it.In the contemporary world where the importance of an individual has become an important issue this veil negates the very foundation of the principles of individualism. In the western world the practice wearing veil in public simply voids the existence of a person.
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> The enlightened and open minded Muslims denounce veil as oppressive and shameful. The important reason to denounce it because any dogmatic Islamic practice gives encouragement to the Islamic extremists. Despite full throated claims Islam does not really believe in the equality of men and women. A pre medieval practice to subjugate women is not a matter of faith; it's a tribal culture which does not exist any more.
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> Akbar Hussain
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[ALOCHONA] : Volunteering Oppurtunity - Business Volunteers in Bangladesh - All Costs reimbursed




Please circulate to any one who might be interested in this oppurtunity!
 

From: Farhana.Rahman@abv.org.au

Sent: Monday, 18 April 2011 9:43 AM
Cc:

Subject: Volunteering with ABV

 

Hi Guys,
Could you please circulate the following adverts within your network among friends/ colleagues/ families please? Will be very grateful. Thank you and sorry if cross-posting. F


1. Business Plan Development in Disability Sector
Organisation: Australian Business Volunteers
Location: Greater Dhaka, Bangladesh
Contact: 6285 1686 or recruitment@abv.org.au
Summary: An excellent opportunity to work at Bangladesh for three months on an assignment with a local NGO working in the disability sector. The main goal of the assignment is to build the capacity of the NGO by assisting staff in maximizing utilization of its resources and improving revenue earning opportunities. The volunteer is to develop an organizational Business Plan and work on its implementation. You will have experience in designing and developing business plans. Experience in the disability sector and knowledge in sales and marketing of devices used by disabled people are expected.


All costs for travel, accommodation and living allowance provided. Volunteers only contribute their time and must be prepared to leave on or before June 30, 2011. Positions open only for Australian citizens or permanent residents.


2. Developing an Online Information Directory
Organisation: Australian Business Volunteers
Location: Dhaka city, Bangladesh
Contact: 6285 1686 or recruitment@abv.org.au
Summary: A four week opportunity to travel to Bangladesh to help out a local NGO in establishing a one-stop on-line information directory. The main goal of the assignment is to create a dynamic web-based solution with database and directory system to provide information on various Non-government Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs) operating in Bangladesh. The solution will present basic information, outreach, financial statistics, printed materials and other necessary information of these organizations. The volunteer is also to train staff for operation and maintenance of this website. You will have relevant qualifications/experience in web development and experience in building scalable database driven web-based solutions. Knowledge of MySQL, Java and other applications using PHP/ASP NET Framework are expected.


All costs for travel, accommodation and living allowance provided. Volunteers only contribute their time and must be prepared to leave on or before June 30, 2011. Positions open only for Australian citizens or permanent residents.

Background on ABV: We are a not-for-profit international development agency and registered charity. Operating since 1981, we contribute towards the reduction of poverty by increasing the capacity and skill-base within developing communities throughout the Asia Pacific. For more information on ABV and its work, please visit www.abv.org.au.


Kind regards,

Farhana Rahman

Volunteer and Project Manager (Bangladesh)

ABV | Strengthening Business & Communities
P 02 6162 7606 | F 02 6103 9129
PO Box 25 Deakin West, ACT 2600 Australia
Website | Facebook | YouTube

This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you are not the intended recipient, dissemination, distribution or reproduction of this email is prohibited. If you received this email in error please notify us and delete the original message.

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Please minimise paper waste



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[ALOCHONA] Transit takes off at Ashuganj



Transit takes off at Ashuganj

Huge transformers, a massive turbine and numerous other developments at the Ashuganj port indicate transit is in full swing

by ANWAR PARVEZ HALIM

Work is on in full swing at Ashuganj to ensure full implementation of transit facilities to India. Vessels after vessel are arriving at the port, carrying heavy machinery and equipment for the power plant being set up at Palatana in Tripura. Two temporary depots have been constructed on leased land to store the machinery and equipment. Next to this the district administration has begun acquiring land to construct a yard with the capacity for 60 thousand containers. In the meantime, the Commerce Ministry's committee in Dhaka has completed work on the transit regulations and this now awaits approval.

An on-the-spot visit reveals that from March 9 till April 7 this year, so far five vessels have arrived at Ashuganj carrying heavy machinery and equipment for the power plant. Five massive 130-wheeler trailers have arrived from Tripura. ABC India Limited has the responsibility of transporting the Over Dimensional Cargo (ODC). About 17/18 labourers and officials of ABC are staying at Shafiqul Islam Bakul's house in Sonarampur. ABC has rented this two-storeyed house. On one side of the main road not far from the Ashuganj thana, Abul Kalam Azad, Merina Begum and Sherina Begum have rented out two plots of land for the temporary depots. The heavy machinery for the power plants and the trailers have been kept in these depots, surrounded by barbed wire.

It is learnt that in accordance to the agreement signed with ABC Limited, IL International Shipping Lines of India have hired four vessels of Bangladesh's Belayet Navigation. These four vessels carrying 960 tonnes of heavy machinery in 12 containers started off for Bangladesh from India's Khidirpur port. These anchored at Ashuganj from March 9 through March 22. The fifth vessel, Indian vessel Amrity, arrived on April 7. About 15 to 20ft of the land at the Masjid jetty of Ashuganj river port has been excavated to construct a sloping road for the trailers to ply with the ODC.

SK Jha, an official of the ABC company, says that with the required release papers from the district administration, the goods arriving in the first four vessels have already been taken via the Akhaura border to Palatana in Tripura. It will take at least seven more months for the remaining machinery to arrive in 81 vessels, says SK Jha.

The last consignment of machinery arriving in April have been stored in the depots. This includes a turbine weighing 260 tonnes and transformers weighing 70 tonnes and 80 tonnes respectively. ABC officials and labourers are working round the clock there. Two trailers have been joined together and the huge turbine has been mounted on that. ABC's vehicle engineer, Prasenjit Saruka of Kolkata, says, "Even though the last ODC was transported at night, this massive turbine is so heavy that it will definitely have to be transported during the day. This will take at least three days." According to Prasenjit, while these trailers are moving along the road, all other vehicular movement on that road will have to be stopped to avoid any accident. As the trailers will not be able to cross the border in just one day, parking facilities have been arranged at Sultanpur.

Local officials of BIWTA and NBR remain present while the containers are being unloaded. That is why both these organisations have set up temporary offices on the upper floor of the local Chistia Filling Station. As the government's decision is not to take any revenue for transit, what could the role of the revenue officer be? Brahmanbaria District Revenue Officer Humayun Kabir tells PROBE, The Indian officials seal the containers at Khidirpur. Then when the vessels enter Sheikhbaria of Bangladesh, the Bangladesh officials place a seal on those again. Then in Ashuganj our responsibility is tally the checklist to check if any of the containers have been mislaid on the way. Then in accordance to the Revenue Board's rules, we issue release papers from the district revenue office. . But there is no scope to see whether any other goods are being transported in the containers. There is no provision to scan the containers either."

The road from Ashuganj river port through Brahmanbaria, Sultanpur, Chenair, Akhaura and Senardi is 49 kilometres in length. The length of the bypass road from Sultanpur to Akhaura land port is 9.60 km. Momen Construction is doing the working on widening and renovating the road. Work is on at full speed. However, local people complain that about 500 trees have been felled for the purpose. Ashuganj NTV correspondent M Akhtaruzzaman also confirmed the felling of the trees.

Then there are about 15 small and large bridges and culverts along this 49 km stretch of road. As these are not adequate for the trailers to cross, for the time being these are being boosted with cement and sand bags over which heavy steel sheets are being placed. The local people feel that monsoon is on the way and these stopgap arrangements are going to clog up the rivers and canals, obstructing the natural water flow.

Whether or not the roads are fit for the transportation of the trailers, the ABC official SK Jha says, "There hasn't been any problem so far. If any problems crop up during the rains, we will look into it then." He did not want to talk any further on this head. His reasoning is that Gulf Orient is ABC's agent in Bangladesh so they can say anything that needs to be said so as to avoid any misunderstanding.

In order to implement the inter-country transshipment centre, three international standard terminal jetties, customs office, BIWTA office, container terminal, crane yard, warehouse, power sub-station, truck yard, rest house and a yard with capacity for 60 thousand containers will have to be set up at the Ashuganj port. In this regard the joint evaluation committee of the two countries are carrying out regular surveys along the banks of the river Meghna. In keeping with the, Ashuganj has been taken as the Port of Call.

It will require 50 acres of land to set up the transshipment centre. The district administration has already started the process of acquiring 32 acres of land at the village Charchartala near the Ashuganj fertiliser factory silos. On March 23 the Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) of Ashuganj, Khalilur Rahman, inspected the area. Other than government land, land of the local residents near the river will also be acquired. During the on-the-spot visit, Giasuddin of the village Maharampara of Charchartala, said "Recently people of BIWTA and the Land Ministry came and measured the area. If the government really acquires the land, our family will suffer the most. He will lose about 20 acres of land." The land in question has several rice mills, the Maramia Darbar Sharif Mazar (shrine) and many houses. The khadem of the mazar Mofizul Islam says that they have been living here for the past 30 years. he hops that even if the land is acquired, the shrine won't be touched. The descendents of Khaleque Molla and Hasai Beprai of Maharampara also fear being evicted. There are other doubts too. Giasuddin came close and whispers his question, "Sir, is the government doing all this, or India?"

In the meantime, the transit regulations drawn up by the Commerce Ministry's committee formed for the purpose, were submitted to the ministry on April 6. Sources say that they government will give its final decision after discussing with the concerned countries. The regulations have given many points in favour of not taking any customs fee. In place of that, they speaks of taking payment for road repairs, compensation for accidents and for damage to the environment, etc. There will be no fee imposed on the vessels plying along the river-ways. The cost of transit infrastructure construction has been estimated at around 50 thousand crore taka.

It will be recalled that the transit issue was included in the joint declaration signed by the Prime Ministers of Bangladesh and India in January 2010. In keeping with that, Bangladesh has been implementing the work of giving transit facilities to India.

parvez1966@yahoo.com

http://www.probenewsmagazine.com/index.php?index=2&contentId=6996

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