India is such a country to have been failed in every test of friendship, continuing to show the big brotherly attitude towards neighboring countries, remaining reluctant to consider dignity of its neighboring countries, stimulating unrest, creating suspicion and uncertainty between them. To this end, which country in the world would offer transit across its surface to such a country? We the people of Bangladesh do not consider India as an enemy or rival. Our expectation is only that India would show the same respect as we have as a sovereign country.
This has been cleared by overseeing India’s foreign policy towards Bangladesh over the years is to “put pressure and meet the demandâ€. This sort of foreign policy has been visualized again when two BDR men and two tenants of Bangladesh have been killed by the Indian boarder security force (BSF), most probably due to some comments made by foreign adviser of Bangladesh regarding not to give transit to India, just prior to the negotiations between the two countries in India.
Why Bangladesh would not mull over transit offer by India? Is there any room for trust and faith that’s firmly required between the two countries? No, certainly not. Rather, this faithlessness and lack of confidence is created by India only because of their ‘big brotherly attitude’ from India.
India articulates transit as an economic issue. Ok that’s good. But, where is the certainty of economic benefit in the in returns for transit? Is there any assurance that we would not have to sit for a bargaining meeting to get a hold of money promised by India? Bangladesh is being experienced this sort of legacy from India. India is, time and again, infringing the treaties with Bangladesh. Sheikh Mujib has ratified the constitution as soon as he came back to the country from India following handing over the Berubari under Mujib-Indira boarder treaty. But, India has reneged on its promises to ratify the constitution of their own. Is Bangladesh being paid water in accordance with treaty? Answer is certainly not. Attention from India to minimize the incredible US$ 2 billion dollar trade deficit is being noticed at all? Not yet today.
India is not making any venture to remove tariff barrier on commodities, is not ensuring the entrance of tariff free commodity, rather twisting unnecessary boarder problem by fencing instead of resolving 6.5km unsettled boarder. They keep themselves implicated in captivating the possession of newly surfaced islands instead of solving the problem South Talpotri.
700 Bangladeshi have been killed notoriously by the BSF throughout 2000-2007 according to Human Rights Organization Report. Crime like abduction has been daily event. No country in the world, in the wake of numerous problems, would not offer transit, accordingly, why Bangladesh? A lot of things including sovereignty of Bangladesh must be taken into account prior to offering transit.
How much Bangladesh is all set relating to roads with 4 lens? And how much grounding it has for repairing the roads and also for long time security? Why Bangladesh would have to bear the risk of AIDS spread by Indian truck drivers? The most important thing is to be taken into account that the Bangladesh would have nothing to do against India having been a regional power with atomic weapons if it dispatches conventional arms and military weapons to north-eastern provinces through Bangladesh. Thus, Bangladesh would become an everlasting enemy and be targeted by separatist group of north-eastern provinces if transit is given.
The separatist group may launch attack inside Bangladesh. Consequently, security measures would be impeded and a turbulence situation would be come into view. Patriotic BDRs and boarder-side farmers who have given their blood and sacrifice themselves to protect the country , the children who became orphan, the widow who lost her husband- these all will sacrifice themselves, but will not leave a bit room for transit.
The concept of transit, transshipment and corridor “Transit refers to the passage across another country’s territory using its own surface transport, while transshipment refers to the same movement using the transport of transiting countries.†(Bangladesh Foreign Policy, 322, Harun ur Rashid). For example- if India using its own transport dispatches commodities through Bangladesh to North-Eastern provinces, we may call it transit system. But, if India dispatches commodities using Bangladeshi transport through Bangladeshi land, we may call it transshipment system. Commodities from India after 1947 were to be transported to North-Eastern part of India across eastern Pakistan. It continued till 1960. In 1960 the relation between India and Pakistan turned into most horrible and India banned the flight transportation over India, therefore, Pakistan blocked transit facilities across the eastern Pakistan.
Transit, security and sovereignty It appears to have been divided the territory of Bangladesh into two sides because of transit route if you observe in the view of security. This is being said that Indian commodity would be dispatched in the form of sealed, Bangladesh would have no control over the sealed thing. India seems to have been created a ground for dispatching military weapons to north-eastern provinces in the name of transit system across Bangladesh if necessary. To this end, Indian forces may get down in soul of Bangladesh, that means through transit or corridor a crocodile is to be invited digging a cannel by Bangladesh.
The relation between India and China is much more related with transit across Bangladesh. As of today, boarder dispute between India and China yet to be solved and apprehensions of war between the two countries having atomic weapons should not be denied. So, in that prospective war India would bring her troops to north-eastern provinces through Bangladesh as it is happened during Second World War in the fate of Belgium. If India-China war is took place, India will conquer Bangladesh by virtue of transit or corridor as Hitler conquered Belgium. (Talukdar Moniruzzaman, transit: khal kete kumir anar porikolpona).
Half of the total military of India has been deployed in the seven sisters region to tackle the unrest there. As India is required more troops there, it cannot be brought to a standstill if it utilizes the transit facility for the purpose of sending troops and military ingredients. It might be presumed that if a war between India and Nepal is happened, the Shiliguri corridor would be closed and in that case Indian troops would have no other way but to march forward by transit route across Bangladesh. In that hasty moment a great military power like India could be defied.
In 1996 the ULFA leader Poresh Borua has made it clear and said “Bangladesh will be targeted and get attacked if it assists India that goes against our Liberation movement.†So, transit and sovereignty cannot be departed.
What would we get in returns for transit? Answers of some questions must be come across first if we are to offer transit to India. What would Bangladesh get a hold in exchange of transit? Would Bangladesh get transit through India to dispatch commodities to Nepal? Through India towards China? And transshipment through India to Pakistan? Would Bangladesh have a facility to bring in electricity from Nepal over India? Would Bangladesh have a passage in dispatching cargos?
Nehru Doctrine, Transit and South Asia Demand for transit or corridor across the territory of Bangladesh and ascertaining of unilateral supremacy of India throughout the South Asia all these are integrally connected and based on Nehru doctrine. Nehru used to dream India to be in the same queue with USA, USSR and China, in the power politics. At the same time, India would be in a state of determinant and chief controller of South Asia is the main theme of Nehru Doctrine. The theory is functioning behind making the South Asian countries dependent on India and ascertaining supremacy of India in this region is the Nehru Doctrine. The comment of Bhobani Sen Gupta in this context is worth mentioning it is as follows- “India will not tolerate an external intervention in a conflict situation in any South Asian country, if the intervention has any implicit or explicit anti Indian implication. No South Asian government must therefore ask for external military assistance with an anti Indian-bias from any country. It a South Asian country genuinely needs to deal with a serious internal conflict situation, it should ask half from neighboring countries including India. The exclusion of India from such a contingency with is considered to be an anti-Indian move on the part of government concerned.â€
If this is be the latent dream and state character of India, how much it will be the horrifying, awful, dire, calamitous and grim that is comprehensible to all.
the write up was good...but it should have added more statistics to make things clearer. anyway, the effort is appreciated and looking forward to have your thoughts being posted on regular basis.
best regards
Mainul Ahsan Ovi
Business Administration Discipline (3rd year)
Khulna University
40009
২
SUST থেকে Md. Shorif Uddin লিখেছেন,
০৬ জুলাই ২০১১; রাত ১১:১৪
valo legece. but r o informative hole valo hoto.ami r o kicu jante cai transit somporke. jodi data nirbor kicu take tahole send korle krithartho hoitam.
61849
৩
Dhaka থেকে Bokul লিখেছেন,
১৭ জুলাই ২০১১; রাত ১২:০১
i want to know about transit deeply. as like as positive side and negative side than u should decide what will we do?
63055
৪
dhaka থেকে mohammad rafiquzzaman লিখেছেন,
৩০ অগাস্ট ২০১১; রাত ১০:২৯
India was never a friend of any other country. even in 1971 it helped us with a farsighted plan. We are realizing now. It is trying to make Bangladesh a completely dependent country with the help of present govt. People of Bangladesh should resist. .
66834
৫
Dhaka থেকে Nilima লিখেছেন,
০৯ অক্টোবর ২০১১; রাত ০২:৫৪
i really appreciate the writer who wrote this article. thanks for the effort. pls rewrite this article adding more details and information about transit and its detrimental consequences. thanks again for spreading awareness regarding this crucial issues
69383
৬
london থেকে liton লিখেছেন,
১৭ অক্টোবর ২০১১; রাত ০১:১২
Yesterday I saw a news about container handling in Asuganj port,it says like India will give money to Bangladesh on loan basis to develop the asuganj port and nearby connecting road so that it could be able to handle such huge shipment. The situation seems to me as my neighbour lend me some money to make bridge across my house so that he could easily go to main road and at the end I have to pay back money with its interest to my neighbour. Isn't a joke and what fucking thick-headed our Government is!
This transit will hugely benefit India but to us it merely contain any value, rather it will harm our business in eastern side of India.
What we know that India desperately needs it so we can impose very high tax on it. Dose Bangladesh afraid of negotiation with India?
From my personal viewpoint I wanna say it will bring bad consequence to our country.
69843
৭
Dhaka থেকে ্Lima লিখেছেন,
২৩ জানুয়ারি ২০১২; দুপুর ০২:৩৮
it is a better writting.but i want to know more about trangit.
77017
৮
Aizawl, Mizoram থেকে MD TOHID HUSSAIN লিখেছেন,
২৮ জানুয়ারি ২০১২; দুপুর ০৩:২৫
It is a thought provoking article. Both the countries must have a basic ground for trust making. There must be balance of trade between the countries to prosper economically. However, small issues can be solved out by bilateral dialoge. Bangladesh must not forget India's contribution also.
77425
বাংলা (ইউনিকোডে) অথবা ইংরেজীতে আপনার মন্তব্য লিখুন:
SUST থেকে Md. Shorif Uddin লিখেছেন,
best regards
Mainul Ahsan Ovi
Business Administration Discipline (3rd year)
Khulna University