Dipu Monis Delhi meet leaves burning issues untouched Faisal Rahim Foreign minister Dr Dipu Moni again used Hilsha fish and special Chamcham sweetmeat to grease the country's diplomatic wheel with Delhi, but on her return the country is still not aware what outcome she carried back from her first ever official visit and talks with Indian leaders. As per the foreign ministry handout release, she did not even raise the Tipaimukh issue with Indian water resource minister while she met him in the Indian capital although it is increasingly agitating the common people here and slowly taking them to street actions. She held discussion on broader water sharing issues and the need for holding meetings of the Joint Rivers Commission (JRC) with Indian foreign minister S M Krishna and finance minister Pranab Mukherji who in fact works as the postbox of the two countries' burning issues. Critical issues untouched Security and trade issues, water transit through Ashuganj river port and fixation of undecided borders including exchange of enclaves came up for discussion in the meetings, news reports said. But critical issues like transit and Tipaimukh were conspicuously absent in discussion as the released statements from both sides showed. Dipu Moni said she did not feel like raising the Tipaimukh issue with Indian minister on the basis of Indian Prime Minister Dr Monohon Singh's earlier assurance that Delhi will not do anything, which will bring embarrassment to Sheikh Hasina. On some other occasions she reiterated the Indian assurances which said Delhi will not withdraw water from Tipaimukh dam to cause problem in the downstream and so there is nothing to worry about it. Critical watch on persons In fact working on India's verbal assurance, Sheikh Hasina's government is maintaining a critical watch on persons of different organizations who are talking the Tipaimukh issue seriously from environmental and national security viewpoints and taking all steps to put down any movement. Like Monmohon Singh, Sheikh Hasina also does not want to see here growing any anti-Indian movement which may put Indian leadership in the dock. But to the real issue whether the Indian government will stop the Tipaimukh project is still in the dark. As all indication show, Delhi is committed to implement even though local communities are also vehemently opposing it for saving their existence. Farakka Barrage: 1974 Even on Farakka Barrage issue, analysts here say, India gave all assurance of protecting Bangladesh's legitimate interest when it commissioned the barrage in 1974. But later development showed the northwestern part of Bangladesh is drying up from shortage of river waters and desertification is fast advancing to turn riverbeds into sand dunes. In respect of Tipaimukh the same may happen to the country's northeast, analysts say. News report prior to her departure for Delhi said, Dipu Moni would hold discussion on a package deal over several issues. But on her return there is no clear statement on the outcome as to what serious issue came up in the package and if she had any divergence of views on critical issues. The statement from Delhi and on return to Dhaka said the leaderships from both the countries are working on schemes which will take the people-to-people relations of both the countries to a new height. Foreign office, moreover said Dipu Moni's visit to Delhi may be viewed as preparatory to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to Delhi next month. But during her forthcoming visit, the first one since her becoming prime minister, will not see signing of any agreement, some news report quoted official sources here focusing on her visit. AH: Corridor for India But Sheikh Hasina's government here is not sitting idle either.. The cabinet has already approved the Bangladesh portion of the Asian Highway (AH) from Jessore and Banglabandha in Dinajpur as entry points to Tamabil in Sylhet as the exit point to re-enter it again to India. It will then cross to Myanmar at Tamu point over Mijoram to run eastward. Sheikh Hasina told Parliament last week that she would not risk isolation of the country from the global network on so-called concerns over security issues. She said Bangladesh would maintain its control over this section of the highway, so there is no cause of concern at all. This is how she is opening the transit corridor for India; analysts here believe pointing out it may create new problems for Bangladesh at the end. Both the countries will then sign a transit protocol to use the Asian Highway for transportation of goods and passengers. Since Bangladesh will have to use the Indian part of the AH to go to Myanmar, it will have to agree to give transit to India on reciprocal basis. Narrow hilly paths, insurgency But given the long terrain and hilly narrow paths and security risks in the Seven Sisters of Indian northeast from operating insurgency, businessmen or tourists from here to East Asia are not likely to use it or benefit from it either. Yet the Awami League government may then sign such agreement to open the corridor to Indian traffic. News report said World Bank (WB) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) are bringing increasing pressure on the Awami League-led grand coalition government to agree to the present Asian Highway routes to give transit facility to Delhi under the cover of the global network.They are using the corridor facility as a condition to loans that the government is now seeking from both the agencies to build the Padma bridge which is an election pledge of the government and viewed as a big political investment to strengthen Awami League (AL) vote bank in the country's southwest. The US government is also working behind the move to bring strategic advantage to its newly discovered regional ally. Delhi's strategic scores Analysts here believe the present AL government is behaving like a subservient one. Most of the ministers, besides foreign minister Dipu Moni are increasingly speaking for Indian strategic advantage in the name of regional connectivity. Finance minister AMA Muhith said recently Bangladesh as a transit country would benefit the most from it. Commerce minister Faruq Khan vowed to open Chittagong and Mongla ports to Indian business under the so-called ambitious scheme of making them regional business hub. Everything is going here to fulfill Delhi's strategic scores. The only thing absent or out of visibility here is formal Dhaka-Delhi contacts. It may be part of a skillful designed strategy to avoid demonstrative effect on the common people. Political analysts here say the Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohon Singh's policy of 'not doing anything may bring embarrassment to Sheikh Hasina.' It sounds like saying that India has put big investment in her and so it is careful not to put her to risk. But the question is whether Mr Singh hears the cries of the common people here as much as he bothers the political stake of Sheikh Hasina as their big friend in Bangladesh. |
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