Tipaimukhi Dam did not take centre stage

Tipaimukhi Dam did not take centre stage during Foreign Minister’s India Visit
Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr. Dipu Moni had a four-day official trip to India in this month. This is Moni’s first official trip to the neigbouring country since the installation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s AL to power eight months ago following the historic December 29 general elections . Political and foreign analysts said the installation of Awami League and Congress to power in the two countries created a congenial ambience to settle the longstanding issues through constructive negotiations because of the historic links between the two parties since the 1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh. Moni’s visit comes as India has been seeking more land-route connectivity through Bangladesh to boost trading in its seven North Eastern States while it has a long pending proposal seeking to use Bangladesh’s port facilities alongside the road transport. No major headway in these regard was witnessed in the past years in view of what analysts said sensitivity in bilateral issues.
A joint statement issued after the talks between Bangladesh Foreign Minister and her Indian counterpart indicated that meetings were held in a cordial and friendly atmosphere-where both sides reiterated their desire to move the relatives ahead. Moni held delegation level talks with External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna, Prime Minister Manomohan Singh, Finance Minsiter Pranab Mukherjee and Water Resources Minister Pawan kumar Bansal.Dr, Singh said India attached highest priority to its relations with Bangladesh and reiterated his invitation to Sheikh Hasina to visit New Delhi at an early date. He also hoped that Moni’s visit would write a new chapter in the bilateral relations. The visit showed keenness and to respond positively to the concerns of the other. Bangladesh is also one of the most important neighbours of India in view of trade, commerce, geography and strategic partner.
With the long-festering land border issue on mind , the two countries also agreed to resolve the Dahagram and Angarpota enclaves and the Tin Bigha corrodor. India held discussions on designing Ashugonj as a new port of call under the Inland Water Transit and Trade Agreement as well as India to use the Chittagong port. Dhaka agreed to provide access to Ashugonj port to facilitate transportation of the Over Dimensional Consignments for the Palatan a power project in Tripura. India agreed to facilitate Nepal-Bangaldesh and Bhutan- Bangladesh connectivity, reopen the Sabroom-Ramgarh trade point and the land route at Demagiri-Thegamukh on Mizoram border for bilateral trade. Both sides deiced to start Border Haats at the Bangladesh-Meghalaya border and facilitate movement of container cargo by rail and water. To enhance cooperation in power sector, India agreed to provide at least 100 MW to Bangladesh on priority.
Dhaka has been pressing for long to remove para and non-tariff barriers to Bangladesh exports in a bid to reduce the yawning trade gap that accounts for over USD 2566 million. Business analysts say Bangladesh looks for stepping up its exports to the landlocked seven North Eastern States and close the trade imbalance if the barriers were removed. The two countries share 50 common rivers and there had not been any progress in distribution of waters of the seven other rivers, including the Teesta , though the landmark 1996 Ganges Water Treaty during the previous tenure of Hasina. The proposed Tipaimukhi Dam on the Barak River in Manipur dominated the centre stage of Bangladesh-India relations in the past several months though New Delhi assured Dhaka nothing would be done under the project which could affect Bangladesh. But the Foreign Minister’s discussion saw a thin point for it.
Connectivity is a topical issue around the world as it is an integral part of development. “We put emphasis on the issue.” –said Moni. We thank the Indian government for agreeing to facilitate Bangladesh’s transit to Nepal and Bhutan. However, it has to be recalled that such an agreement was reached earlier but could not be implemented. Of course little had been done to reduce the trade imbalance weighed heavily in India’s favour and on the contentious issue of India planning to build a dam on the Barak river.
Bangladesh agreed to discuss making Ashugong a port of call under Article 23 of the Indian Water Trade and Transit Agreement and agreed to let India use this port for a power plant in Tripura. India agreed to facilitate Bangladesh, Nepal and Bangladesh-Bhutan Connectivity. India and Bangladesh decided to step up trade and connectivity and to conclude three pacts on combating terror. The agreements are expected to be signed when the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visits New Delhi . Signaling an upward swing in bilateral ties, dogged by years of mistrust, the two countries reiterated not to allow the use of their territories for activities inimical to each other’s security interests. They also pledged to expand cooperation to deter terror attacks. The development is significant as New-Delhi is hopeful that the new government in Dhaka will address its concerns about anti-India insurgents. The AL government must remember that all the points, agreements and disagreements and contracts with India call for national consensus. If there is no national consensus, with the change of government all these may see invalid. The government must have genuine will to involve the opposition in these sensitive issues. In no way they can afford to take complacency and credit to develop diplomatic ties with India.
The demarcation of the maritime boundary that is a major unresolved issue of tremendous importance to Bangladesh has been left out in the discussion of our foreign minister and Indian side. India gave Bangladesh duty free access for eight million garments but later imposed countervailing duty to protect domestic products. It will not be an exaggeration if we say that the Indian side accrued more benefits than us through this visit.
The caretaker government also showed its inclination to improve relationships with India. On the eve of the visit of Pranab Mukherjee, the then Foreign Minister of India, our Foreign Affairs Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury told the media, “ Let me say unequivocally that this caretaker government wishes to place Bangladesh’s relation with India on a firm footing so that future governments of both countries can build on the progress we make. The signal of change was evident when India’s public sector company BHEL, was awarded a contract for building a gas-based power project in Bangladesh. Mukhurjee called for greater connectivity among the SAARC countries to be linked with East Asia and South-East Asia. Bangladesh agreed to early operation of the Sealdhah-Joydevpur passenger train service and to build a bridge over Raghnacherra river. Mukherjee also had discussions with Bangladesh leaders on early and full implementation of South Asian Free Trade Area ( SAFTA) . Both sides have agreed on establishing the South Asian University as a centre for excellence. Only the goodwill and trust between these two significant and important neighbouours can materialize the proposals and dreams leading to establishing peace and prosperity.
BNP has euphoria to develop bilateral relations with India and Awami League has over leniency and servile attitude towards India. None of these attitudes promises a strong point to establish a real friendly tie with India. Whereas, there is no denying the fact that we must have strong ties with India as she is our largest and most significant neighbor. No doubt we will have good relation with China as well. In no way we can afford to avoid or annoy China. Our foreign policy must be very much ingenious and strategic, no emotion and no force and willful desire can stage here. Ahead of Prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s trip to New Delhi later this year, India and Bangladesh will hold talks on sensitive issues like the contentious Tipaimukhi hydroelectric project and discuss steps to invigorate trade and combat terrorism. We wish a success of her visit throwing the light of solutions to all the unresolved issues with particular emphasis on the Tipaimukhi Project.

Md. Masum Billah
Senior Manager: BRAC Education Programme, PACE
( The writer writes regularly on various national and international issues)
Phone: 9355253(res), 01714-091431(cell)
Email: mmbillah2000@yahoo.com