Bangladesh News and Discussion

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Gerard
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Re: Bangladesh News and Discussion

Post by Gerard »

Protest over statues at Bangladesh airport
Authorities in Bangladesh have been forced to remove new decorations at the international airport in the capital Dhaka after Muslim protesters threatened to destroy them.
Put back Baul singers’ statues near ZIA
Cultural activists and eminent citizens yesterday demanded reinstallation of the sculptures of the Baul singers (folk singers) at the Zia International Airport intersection saying that an attack on the sculptures is an attack on our culture, Liberation War and the country.
Advisor, sculptor at statue row
Mahbub Jamil said, an Islamic organisation demanded the removal of the statue built near Ashkona haj camp on the plea that erection of statue is against the spirit of Islam.
ShakilAnam
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Re: Bangladesh News and Discussion

Post by ShakilAnam »

nkumar wrote:
ShakilAnam wrote: India liberating CHT or BD liberating NE, both of which are really stupid plans to say the least.
:rotfl:
Pray also enlighten us about the method BD is going to employ to liberate NE from India. Crossing under the fence and then using womb terror ??
Please be constructive. What you said isn't funny at all, but distasteful. Starting even a small battle at the chicken's neck to create obstruction for IA gives China the upper hand at mobilizing it's forces into NE. Not that IA doesn't have other plans. Don't start such endless discussion as this isn't a war game topic, neither do we want to see a conflict in NE as it is just immediate to BD and the consequences will always be disastrous for BD.
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Re: Bangladesh News and Discussion

Post by NRao »

Why is taking (not liberating0 CHT a bad idea?
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Re: Bangladesh News and Discussion

Post by Victor »

ShakilAnam wrote: Starting even a small battle at the chicken's neck to create obstruction for IA gives China the upper hand at mobilizing it's forces into NE.
Our stupid politicians won't act until BD does so Indians would really be grateful if you started a small battle at the chicken's neck. But for your own sake, don't bring IA into this because they remember everything you did since 1971. BSF and CRPF are enough for you.
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Re: Bangladesh News and Discussion

Post by archan »

Shakil miyan, I'm curious. What's your stand on the statues issue? are they unislamic?
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Re: Bangladesh News and Discussion

Post by Mahendra »

Mahbub Jamil said, an Islamic organisation demanded the removal of the statue built near Ashkona haj camp on the plea that erection of statue is against the spirit of Islam.
Archan. please read carefully

PS The foreign university topper from BD land needs his 72
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Re: Bangladesh News and Discussion

Post by niran »

I see BD brilliant war planning to defeat India.
I have a wee bit of confusion, just a wee bit,
if you may so kind enough to enlighten.

Since BD is engulfed by India on 3 sides.
the 4th "The Bay of Bengal" will be 400%
blocked by Indian Navy.
How in the name of mussaraff's mussarraf
BD is going to replenish herself? How?

I see hawai Jahaj from China shot down
Pani Jahaj sunk or confiscated.
no overland supplies.
for the life of me, I am yet unable to work out
a resupply route in case of hostilities with India.
Thanks in advance.
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Re: Bangladesh News and Discussion

Post by Avinash R »

India now top import source for Bangladesh

Dhaka, Nov 10 : India has regained the top position as Bangladesh's importing source, beating China, having exported rice worth $874 million last year.

Statistics released here last week by the Bangladesh Bank showed that a surge in rice import last fiscal pushed India up, which sent most of the quantity required as the crop over an estimated one million acres was destroyed in Cyclone Sidr that hit the country in November.

Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee flew in to Bangladesh Dec 1, 2007, a fortnight after the cyclone, to express solidarity and pledged to supply half a million tonnes of rice to that country.

Bangladesh's rice import bill from India soared to $874 million in 2007-08, up from $180 million in 2006-07 and $117 million in 2005-06, the bank data said.

"Majority of the rice import was from India," a senior central bank official told The Daily Star newspaper.

According to the central bank, Bangladesh imported 17-billion taka ($30-million) worth of more goods from India than China last fiscal. China was the number one country for Bangladesh's imports in fiscal 2005-06 and 2006-07.

Bangladesh's total import rose 26 percent to 1.47 trillion taka ($21.63 billion) last fiscal from 1.18 trillion taka ($17.16 billion) in 2006-07.

Imports from India stood at 232 billion taka ($3.4 billion) in 2007-08, while it it was worth 214 billion taka ($3.1 billion) from China.

Bangladesh's other three major import partners were Kuwait, Singapore and Japan last year.

As with other South Asian nations, Bangladesh has a negative balance of trade with India and the two sides have been working to bridge the widening gap.

India has extended duty-free import facilities and earlier this year, began importing eight million pieces of ready-made garments from its eastern neighbour.
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Re: Bangladesh News and Discussion

Post by Rye »

RajeshA wrote:
Having said that, I wouldn't have a problem kicking some Bangledeshi a$$, if India is the one doing the kicking. If it was India's influence which was causing the Myanmarese to create some trouble to the Bangladeshis, it would have been a great situation. But here the puppet master is China, so regardless of the fact that Bangladeshis are the ones under pressure, in the end, China is playing this game not with Bangladesh, but with India and USA.
Rajesh, I think the first priority for India should be to retain whatever goodwill/leverage with Myanmar -- it is a lot easier than building goodwill/leverage with a country that refused billions of $$ of Indian investment because of the jihadi BD mindset.
I have a strong feeling that it is Myanmar playing to the tune of other powers, i.e. China, otherwise Bangladesh would not panic and go running to the Chinese requesting them to put a stop to Myanmarese aggressive attitude. The Bangladeshis are the ones asking for a deescalation. That is not usually how a trouble-maker would act.
BD should not get any de-escalation and they have to be kept under pressure, and India appearing to remain neutral but not providing any support to Bangladesh should really increase the pressure on BD. For starters, the real reasons of the brawl are still unclear, and given the worthless BD behavior most times and their "gratitude" when India did step in to help last time, allowing BD to swing from the trees and destroying BD from the ground up to replace it with more friendly nation-states may be a better idea for India. Let us recall that these are the same BD jokers who actually let go of a billion $ investment in BD because they are all a bunch of islamic jihadi bigots who see "bullying" in everything India does. Read Shakil's demented posts in the previous page where he does the usual equal-equal between *pakistani jihadis* and "hindi fundamentalists"....that alone should reveal the mindset of such people -- more power to Myanmar...hope they screw BD and cause them much pain.
Bangladesh is not necessarily afraid of Myanmar but of the power behind the fist, of China.
And if India backs BD against Myanmar too, would it be afraid of India or become allies with India? Not a chance. The BD govt. would still lean towards china and pakistan and even USA -- in this case, a Myanmar that is hostile to BD is a good thing for India. Unlike BD, which has deliberately "avoided Indian bullying", the Myanmar govt. is happy to cooperate with the GoI in matters of economics and security. If someone else can do the increasing of pain for BD (like Myanmar), then all the more better.
This follows a well-tested Chinese strategy. Use a proxy to create a problem and pressure, then force the West to turn to China to help in the deescalation of the problem. For that China's cooperation for peace is acknowledged by the West, and West becomes dependent on China.
So why only China? Why can't India can "get involved" too without making things easier on BD? This will allow retaining and improving on existing relationships with Myanmar, which is crucial to getting BD under control in the long term.
That is so with North Korea on proliferation, with Sudan on Darfur, with Pakistan on boxing India, and now with Myanmar on Bangladesh.
Not sure I understand your reasoning on why this situation is similar to Pakistan -- if the GoI allows the GOTUS/"international community" to override its NE concerns and support BD against Myanmar (which is completely against India's interests), then that is just pathetic, IMO.

BD is not a nation that has yet decided to aid regional cooperation with India leading, and until they do, they should not be given any support on any issue that helps them. There should be a price to be paid for screwing around with Indian goodwill (which the BD govts. spat on with contempt) and this oppurtunity allows India to make that point. The more BD continues with its jihadi terrorism in India and aiding pakistan and USA and china. The more they should expect nothing but pain from India and Myanmar.
This time we may have to save Bangladesh's a$$ in order to kick it later ourselves.
Shouldn't we learn our lessons from "saving Bangladesh" in 1971? They are not a peoples worth "saving" given the amount of trouble and animosity the "saved BD" citizens have towards India , and their paki attitudes towards India and Indians.

They have a huge trade deficit with India, but still believe that India needs to be "put in its place" by BD, with the help of China or USA if necessary....can't really feel any empathy for people exhibiting such boneheaded and illogical behaviour.
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Re: Bangladesh News and Discussion

Post by RajeshA »

Rye,

my only concern with Bangladesh-Myanmar Conflict is:

1. The conflict escalates between Myanmar and Bangladesh; Obama wants to deescalate; and there are four parties on the table doing the actual talking: Myanmar, Bangladesh, China and USA. USA sees China as the top Manager for Asian Affairs, and forgets about the plan to build up India to balance China.

2. Bangladesh feels obliged to China for putting their dog, Myanmar on leash, and is willing to do China's bidding full time, in which case not only Myanmar but also Bangladesh move into Chinese orbit full-time, which is not good for India at all.

I'll be happy to hear any proposals, which can help avoid the two scenarios, which can be the outcomes of this conflict.
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Re: Bangladesh News and Discussion

Post by Rye »

Rajesh,

If India cannot join hands with Myanmar to get a completely surrounded BD under control, then it may not matter if Obama and the sinophiles in the democrat administration think of India as a second-rate power in the region, because that would be actually true.

I think there are some questions that BD needs to answer. What is the quid-pro-quo from India's POV for assisting BD here? What has BD done for India lately? What steps has it taken recently to assuage India's concerns about ISI/Pakistani terror groups operating freely in BD. What about the other NE terrorist organizations that are being run by their leaders sitting comfortably in BD territory? Who is in charge of this "caretaker regime" in BD? Is India more tightly involved than other parties? If so, your concerns seem warranted.

Why is there a queasiness about working with Myanmar to rein in BD, when India has done so in the past with no problem. If China can work with Myanmar, so can India, and India must also do so, no? Long-term plans for reviving the NE will never succeed without having Myanmar on our side, and BD is part of India's problems, not the solution -- Myanmar has been part of the solution to India's NE problems.

I see this conflict as a first step to reducing India's influence with Myanmar by some motivated parties, and being seen as taking sides with BD will be step one to reducing India's influence with Myanmar. Assisting BD is (a) not going to increase Indian influence in BD (b) is going to decrease influence in Myanmar.
That *is* the worst of all possible outcomes for India with an unstable NE.
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Re: Bangladesh News and Discussion

Post by RajeshA »

Rye,

If I am not mistaken, you're saying we should encourage Myanmar to pick a fight with Bangladesh, or to put it more grown-up like - to help Myanmar get its rightful rights over the sea waters it claims.

The point is, China has the leash on Myanmar. We can of course fire up Myanmar, but that would just be doing the job of the corner man in the boxing ring, while China plays the role of the boxing promoter Don King. So in the ring, we could help Myanmar with a few tactical hints, but China decides how the fight goes - the strategy. So as a corner man, we too would be working for the big boss, and not for us, and that is not what we want.

We need a strategy, which allows us to remain the top-dog in South Asia, and that the powers-that-be to recognize us as such. We don't want China expanding its influence in our backyard. This conflict between Myanmar and Bangladesh, IMO, is challenging this very status of ours. To be honest, I can't offer a sound strategy on this.

What happens with Bangladesh, if it lives or dies, concern me here not very much. They deserve the pain, but not more than we deserve our regional-power status.
That is so with North Korea on proliferation, with Sudan on Darfur, with Pakistan on boxing India, and now with Myanmar on Bangladesh.
This refers to Chinese strategy of using a proxy to put pressure on third parties to accept Chinese influence.

What worries me is, that China would be able to enlist Bangladesh to become an even bigger pain in the a$$ for India, and this time with solid Chinese support. We already know, how much harm Bangladesh can do. We do not want that doing harm to India becomes its one and only mission in life.
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Re: Bangladesh News and Discussion

Post by Rye »

RajeshA wrote:
What worries me is, that China would be able to enlist Bangladesh to become an even bigger pain in the a$$ for India, and this time with solid Chinese support. We already know, how much harm Bangladesh can do. We do not want that doing harm to India becomes its one and only mission in life.
Rajesh,

Why is the reverse of us harming BD not even in the picture and not considered an option by India. In the face of implacable BD hostility towards India, that is just silly and dispels any notion that India has any power to project outside its borders, even if it makes pretensions of sending ships to the Middle East. If BD can make life miserable for India, India can do it ten times in reverse, if there was political will (as opposed to the current political won't).

I am at a loss as to what exactly is the GoI afraid of about BD becoming "rogue" (more than it already is)? that BD will become another pakistan (BD is already past that point)? Is the Indian army existing to smartly salute the PM on Republic Day or does the Cabinet/GoI have plans to use them against hostile countries like BD when they mess with India? BD is not yet nuclear -- are these leaders of ours trying to wait until BD acquires nukes under China's tutelage and becomes even more of a pain than it currently is? How smart is all this denial of the BD problem?

Seems to me that the only way India is going to have a legitimate reason to be involved in whatever "negotiations" Myanmar and BD hold in the future (involving the chinese) by starting our own little "disagreement" w.r.t. maritime boundaries with BD. Now, BD has a conflict with both large neighbours, and even if China can ask Myanmar to back down, it cannot do that to India -- any exhibition of "we are the big dog here" would be undercut. Such a "maritime disagreement" also opens the door for India to say at some point in the future that "all India, BD and Myanmar states need to sit down and iron this out, possibly forming a coalition to help each other exploit the resources in the region or some such". The biggest danger in all that you mention is India being kept out by both BD and Myanmar ---this "disagreement" with BD also gives India a card it can offer as a concession down the line (by removing the "disagreement" -- basically taking a leaf out of the chinese playbook for sikkim/AP by creating a problem and "solving" it at one's leisure when the circumstances work out right or in exchange for a more valuable card down the line, when some current card loses value).

If BD decides to have a pakistan like attitude, India needs to invade BD and wipe out all the pro-pakistani people who are currently controlling BD (the ex-razakar crowd) -- India made the mistake of not taking these people out in 1971 and they killed all BD leaders ruthlessly with Pakistani guidance and support. 30 years later the razakars are back to controlling the country. This trend needs to be stopped before it gets any worse and a harder problem to solve for future Indian govts.
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Re: Bangladesh News and Discussion

Post by RajeshA »

Rye wrote:RajeshA wrote:
What worries me is, that China would be able to enlist Bangladesh to become an even bigger pain in the a$$ for India, and this time with solid Chinese support. We already know, how much harm Bangladesh can do. We do not want that doing harm to India becomes its one and only mission in life.
Rajesh,

Why is the reverse of us harming BD not even in the picture and not considered an option by India. In the face of implacable BD hostility towards India, that is just silly and dispels any notion that India has any power to project outside its borders, even if it makes pretensions of sending ships to the Middle East. If BD can make life miserable for India, India can do it ten times in reverse, if there was political will (as opposed to the current political won't).

I am at a loss as to what exactly is the GoI afraid of about BD becoming "rogue" (more than it already is)? that BD will become another pakistan (BD is already past that point)? Is the Indian army existing to smartly salute the PM on Republic Day or does the Cabinet/GoI have plans to use them against hostile countries like BD when they mess with India? BD is not yet nuclear -- are these leaders of ours trying to wait until BD acquires nukes under China's tutelage and becomes even more of a pain than it currently is? How smart is all this denial of the BD problem?
India can proceed and do some engineering on BD. I support that. However there are a few precautions here:
1. India intervenes militarily before China has some naval base or listening post in BD.
2. India intervenes militarily before BD and China have some security arrangement.
3. In order to keep it that way, until some point in time arrives, when India is ready and willing to militarily intervene in BD, BD needs to be kept at peace with its neighborhood, or at least far away from the Dragon's embrace.
4. A proper reason needs to be found/produced, before any such intervention. The Chittagong Hill Tracts can again come alive, where India could intervene because of humanitarian reasons. The world would have to be told about the conditions there. Even here India should keep a certain distance from the issue while it is boiling, so that BD does not panic.
5. The intervention should be swift and should produce a new State of Chittagong in the Indian Subcontinent.
6. After that India should use maximum weight to cower BD to get rid of its hostile attitude towards India.

Disclaimer:/ Take the feasibility of the above approach with a heavy bucket of salt.

Again, it does not need to go this way. BD should just change its deep-seated paranoia of India and inferiority-complex, where any concession to India is considered, as if they are selling off the country, and they think hostility can provide a suitable shield for their weakness. Indian establishment needs to enlist some segments of political players like Awami League, etc. who are willing to break with hostility and show the rest of the BD, that the sky does not come down, if one cooperates with India.
Seems to me that the only way India is going to have a legitimate reason to be involved in whatever "negotiations" Myanmar and BD hold in the future (involving the chinese) by starting our own little "disagreement" w.r.t. maritime boundaries with BD. Now, BD has a conflict with both large neighbours, and even if China can ask Myanmar to back down, it cannot do that to India -- any exhibition of "we are the big dog here" would be undercut. Such a "maritime disagreement" also opens the door for India to say at some point in the future that "all India, BD and Myanmar states need to sit down and iron this out, possibly forming a coalition to help each other exploit the resources in the region or some such". The biggest danger in all that you mention is India being kept out by both BD and Myanmar
If we start a 'maritime disagreement' with BD, it would most probably be in the west, while 'maritime disagreement' with Myanmar is in the east. It will be a bit difficult to pursue both disagreements as a single issue to be solved jointly by all three parties involved.

Secondly China is getting involved here through a proxy, Myanmar, while we would be getting involved directly. The method of resolving such conflicts are different. As positions of the parties become intransigent, each party being greedy (strategic reasons, or mineral wealth, or transit routes, etc), the weaker party (BD) tries to look for help from outside (China), which can help influence the other party (Myanmar) to back down.

In case of India, BD too would look for another outside party which is stronger than the one (India) causing disagreement, which means even for that they would look up to China. China does not have influence over India, so that does not solve the problem for Bangladesh, but if Bangladesh is sufficiently afraid of India, they would be willing to become a protectorate of China, where China can put up its naval bases, etc. Should India then attack BD (on being provoked), then it becomes a case of India attacking China's vital interests, and the conflict can expand to all our borders in the North East.
---this "disagreement" with BD also gives India a card it can offer as a concession down the line (by removing the "disagreement" -- basically taking a leaf out of the chinese playbook for sikkim/AP by creating a problem and "solving" it at one's leisure when the circumstances work out right or in exchange for a more valuable card down the line, when some current card loses value).
India already has a couple of open issues with Bangladesh, most notably the river water distribution issue. I am not disinclined against having even more pressure points, as long as those pressure points are seen as resolvable issues, and which cause a certain rancor but do not put BD in such a panic mode, that it runs into the open arms of China to serve as its minion.
If BD decides to have a pakistan like attitude, India needs to invade BD and wipe out all the pro-pakistani people who are currently controlling BD (the ex-razakar crowd) -- India made the mistake of not taking these people out in 1971 and they killed all BD leaders ruthlessly with Pakistani guidance and support. 30 years later the razakars are back to controlling the country. This trend needs to be stopped before it gets any worse and a harder problem to solve for future Indian govts.
These people need to be fought from inside the country. The least India can do, is financially support the making of documentaries and feature films which try to reproduce the situation prior to 1971 and the politics of treason that followed. One could make films on Ayub Khan, Mukti Bahini, Mujibur Rahman, Ziaur Rahman and others. I personally don't know of any feature films which portray the Bangladesh Independence. Some epic like 'Gandhi' of Richard Attenborough comes to mind. After all, it was also a victory for India. If the film(s) is well-researched and well-depicted, it can make an impression on the Bangladeshis. At the moment, I lack the $60 million need for the film. :)
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Re: Bangladesh News and Discussion

Post by Rye »

RajeshA wrote:
Again, it does not need to go this way. BD should just change its deep-seated paranoia of India and inferiority-complex, where any concession to India is considered, as if they are selling off the country, and they think hostility can provide a suitable shield for their weakness. Indian establishment needs to enlist some segments of political players like Awami League, etc. who are willing to break with hostility and show the rest of the BD, that the sky does not come down, if one cooperates with India.
I agree that BD paranoia about India is making them behave in very strange ways, and India has been unable to roll back that paranoia which seems to be religiously motivated -- the Jamaat-e-islami is a powerful force in BD, and it is true that there are a BD citizens who do not care for the Jamaat's jihadi behaviour. If India is unable to roll back this paranoia and on top of that BD openly starts to bring in foreign powers into India's domain, then BD has taken a step beyond paranoia and moved on to "open hostility" mode.

If, as you say, there are indeed sections of the BD political arena that are friendly with India, then of course, India should try and engage them, with the caveat that BD could be doing the dirty work of some other puppet master here and India needs to be very careful and avoid rubbing Myanmar the wrong way on BD's behalf.
If the film(s) is well-researched and well-depicted, it can make an impression on the Bangladeshis. At the moment, I lack the $60 million need for the film.
That is a really good idea...I am about 59999999$ dollars short too. :)
Last edited by Rye on 12 Nov 2008 22:20, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Bangladesh News and Discussion

Post by Victor »

CHT is the answer to the BD problem from more than one angle. The bangladeshis have openly flooded the CHT with Muslim Bengalis and terrorized the Buddhist Chakmas over three decades in the most horrific ways. They are probably in the majority there now. But there has been not a peep from India or the "international community". Why is it that only pakis and paki-wannabees are allowed to get away with mass murder?
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Re: Bangladesh News and Discussion

Post by Vivek K »

ShakilAnam wrote:It is least possible here, as BD is far from being a religion-centered society unlike pakistan and india,
Pot calling the Kettle black? India BTW has a muslim population greater than the population of muslims in BD.
This is the core issue between India and BD at the moment - bullying. You're welcome to visit BD with me and we can go on a mullah hunt to see where the infamous mullahs so often heard and seen in BR are hiding in BD (I'm serious).
Whatever you may do - i.e. shelter terrorists working against India, or push your own citizens into India, that is not a core issue! Are you for real?
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Re: Bangladesh News and Discussion

Post by harbans »

I would like to see Bangladeshi posters comment here. But saying that India is bullying is so unfair. The demographics have drastically changed in surrounding areas and districts. I understand that Bangladesh has land and population problems, but the least they can do is try and start curbing growth rather than dream about a Greater Bangladesh that comprises the NE.

India by and large has been always pretty friendly and helpful to Bangladesh. Bangladesh does not have to spend it's precious resources on Defense because India has no intention to take any of Bangladesh's land. This really should have benefitted BD. But no, right wing Islamists in BD want to behave exactly like their failed Paki cousins. So no transit rights to India, no gas pipelines allowed either from NE or Myanmar (forget about BD), TATAs kicked out ignominously. Then where does BD make money from?

What has India done to BD? Shakil ji you must not make such statements unless you back them up with some info. Thanks.
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Re: Bangladesh News and Discussion

Post by surinder »

Few days back i was borders. I happened to look at a book of pictures of WW2.

It had in interesting photo of an angry Frenchman kicking a german POW. That was, of course, after France was liberated ... when the americans came.

India got about 93000 POW's in BD. Are there any good photos of those events? Photos of POW's being captured, transported, in jail, praying, laughing, weeeping etc. Is there any book on the POW's? How they lived, how they escaped, how they were rehabilitated in TSP?

Have I just missed those books or they do nto exist? If the latter, then shame on the Indian writers/journalists & GoI.
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Re: Bangladesh News and Discussion

Post by Rye »

This news item from page 1 indicates that the impending elections in December was taken into account, given the timing of this spat. There is also the possibility that anti-hasina people in BD could have caused this issue.
Re: Bangladesh News and Discussion
by Anabhaya on 12 Jun 2008 07:19 pm

Bangladesh former PM flies to US

DHAKA (Reuters) - In a move that could ultimately help Bangladesh's army-backed government achieve credible elections, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka on Thursday for foreign medical treatment.

Hasina's Awami League, one of the country's top political parties, has been at loggerheads with the self-defined "interim authorities" over her detention on graft charges, and reluctant to commit to participating in a parliamentary election set for December.
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Re: Bangladesh News and Discussion

Post by Rye »

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/bdesh ... ../386142/

Maybe the caretaker govt. is actually India-friendly, as they seem to have done the right things for the BD election. Still the same two horses in the running, BNP and Awami League. I hope the Awami League wins and the ruling coalition does not have the Jamaat-e-islami or any of the jihadi islamist political parties as an alliance partner. That is the same situation as before this emergency -- the Tata deal was refused by BD by the BNP and their Jamaat-e-islami coalition partners. The BNP/Islamic crowd bombed a lot of Awami League worker and politicians repeatedly. In the article, the BNP demands a repeal of emergency before the polls precisely because they want to be able to use their rowdy islamist buddies for "campaigning".


Also, I think it is clear that Myanmar and Bangladesh have to sort it out between themselves -- however Myanmar needs to assure India that their spat with BD will not cause problems for other Indo-Myanmar projects that are trying to bypass Bangladesh. If Bangladesh was a more friendly country, instead of being this hostile pain-in-the-neck that it is currently, there would be no need to bypass BD.
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Re: Bangladesh News and Discussion

Post by ShakilAnam »

Last edited by Gerard on 18 Nov 2008 02:47, edited 2 times in total.
Reason: Please post the URL link rather than reproduce the entire content or photos (violation of copyright)
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Re: Bangladesh News and Discussion

Post by Sadler »

deleted
Last edited by Gerard on 18 Nov 2008 05:31, edited 2 times in total.
Reason: Pinglish should be kept to the Pingrezi thread. Comment is also in bad taste and liable to start a flame war
ShakilAnam
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Re: Bangladesh News and Discussion

Post by ShakilAnam »

Now the killing has reached to mothers and their infants. This is terrible. Lack of action by the GOI is giving these BSF men a sense of being above the law. These illegal killings inside BD territory have been occurring for quite a while now. It surely doesn't matter to any of you (or even some of us) if "just" one mother or infant dies every now and then because you people are fortunate to have been born in wealthy urban families, and not across international borders with BSF camps around.
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Re: Bangladesh News and Discussion

Post by Rahul M »

no need to get worked up, there will be an enquiry and if the person is guilty he will be punished.
don't act as if this is govt policy or something. BDR is involved in similar if not more heinous activities and that too with widespread coordination that is not possible w/o the involvement of the higher-ups.
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Re: Bangladesh News and Discussion

Post by Gerard »

"Good fences make good neighbors"
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Re: Bangladesh News and Discussion

Post by ShakilAnam »

deleted
Last edited by Gerard on 18 Nov 2008 05:33, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Keep thread on topic. Avoid personal attacks
Avinash R
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Re: Bangladesh News and Discussion

Post by Avinash R »

BSF soldier strays into B'desh killing three, says BDR
Dhaka, Nov 17 (PTI) Bangladesh authorities today claimed that an apparently drunk Border Security Force (BSF) personnel overnight allegedly killed three Bangladeshi villagers after intruding into northwestern part of its frontier.

"It was an unfortunate incident, but not a planned attack by BSF," BDR's operations director Colonel Anisur Rahman said in Dhaka.
While confirming that a BSF jawan was being held by BDR personnel, a BSF official in New Delhi refused to lend credence to reports that the soldier had killed any body.
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Re: Bangladesh News and Discussion

Post by Avinash R »

Mizoram seals borders with Myanmar, B’desh fearing bird flu
Wednesday 19 November, 2008.

Mizoram government has sealed the 722-km international border with Myanmar and Bangladesh after fresh cases of avian flu were detected in the two neighbouring countries.

Deputy Commissioners of the districts adjoining these two countries had issued prohibitory orders on import of chicken, bird and pig into Mizoram, an official statement said on Tuesday.

State Animal Husbandry and Veterinary department officials said that the instructions have been given to the officials posted in the border areas to ensure that no chicken, bird or pig are brought into the state from the two countries.
WB govt also needs to take urgent steps to stop import of chicken. last time they were slow in sealing the border and lakhs of chicken had to be culled in WB.
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Re: Bangladesh News and Discussion

Post by vsudhir »

Bangla Govt supports brain behind Assam blasts: Gogoi

Wow, matters must really be dire if an INC CM who has been consistently blind to BD based demographic and religious terror, is issueing these statements. Whats cooking I wonder.
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Re: Bangladesh News and Discussion

Post by ShakilAnam »

US, Britain tried to block Bangladesh creation: Book[/size]
24 Nov 2008, 0926 hrs IST, IANS[/size]


NEW DELHI: The US and Britain tried to persuade a top advocate of Bangladesh to help roll back the country's liberation struggle in 1971, citing future threats from "Hindu majority India", says a book by a former Indian diplomat.

But Justice Abu Sayeed Choudhury, who was based in London, not only rejected the Western interventions but personally conveyed the secret American move to then Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi.

According to Sashanka S. Banerjee, author of "A Long Journey Together: India, Pakistan and Bangladesh", Choudhury told Gandhi in London that US Assistant Secretary of State Joseph Sisco hurriedly contacted him on behalf of the Nixon administration, which was against Pakistan's break-up.

Choudhury, a former chief justice of the Dhaka High Court, was also told that if he stopped backing the then jailed Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, he would be rewarded with the presidency of a united Pakistan.

Banerjee says Choudhury's revelation did not shock Gandhi. "Those were the days of the Cold War... It confirmed the rock-solid permanence of the US-Pakistan strategic relationship."

Choudhury, the book says, correctly interpreted the American diplomat's suggestion as a last ditch attempt "to save Pakistan from disintegration".

"He told Gandhi that the State Department official had also taken the line that Hindu-majority India could make it quite difficult for a breakaway Islamic East Pakistan to retain its independence once it had been achieved."

British Foreign Secretary Sir Alec Douglas-Home separately met Choudhury and stressed that "India with its large Hindu majority" would end up surrounding a future mainly Muslim Bangladesh. Choudhury assured him that there was nothing to worry on that count.

Choudhury, also a former vice chancellor of Dhaka University, led the Bangladesh independence struggle from London. He was appointed president of Bangladesh and held the post from 1972 to 1975. Another reason Choudhury met Gandhi in London was to persuade her to quickly recognise Bangladesh. He felt that an Indian diplomatic recognition would greatly boost the independence struggle.

When Pakistan finally released Mujibur Rahman, he flew to London. From there he was to originally fly to New Delhi, on his way to Dhaka, in a special Air India plane.

"Fearing that the (Air India) flight could be booby-trapped by enemy agents, Gandhi requested British Prime Minister Edward Heath to provide an RAF (Royal Air Force) plane to fly the Bangladesh leader first to New Delhi, then on to Dhaka. It was a move with a motive."

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Indi ... 749944.cms


PS: Gerard, I had to post the whole article because I needed to highlight certain parts of it.
Regards,
Shakil
Last edited by Rahul M on 28 Nov 2008 11:43, edited 2 times in total.
Reason: No need to shout. Do NOT use LARGE fonts/ All Caps.
ShakilAnam
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Re: Bangladesh News and Discussion

Post by ShakilAnam »

That was one last pathetic attempt by the US and the Brits to prevent the inevitable independence of Bangladesh. The Nixon (+ Kissinger) administration was one of the worst in US history and it's no surprise they would attempt the lamest option "for US interests." However, I can see at least one of their predictions materialize, that the hindu-majority India would become the biggest threat to BD's independence in the future.

Though India and Pakistan differ largely in their economy, much to the credit of India's vastly larger size and "a more civilized south and east", the similarity in their mentality is the closest thing between the nations. As an example, here is the Pak '71 approach compared to the present India approach towards BD:

Pak '71 approach-
1) Bengalis of East Pakistan are highly hindu-ized in nature,
2) and, therefore, are an instability factor (?!) for Pakistan

present India approach:
1) Bengalis of Bangladesh are all radically islam-ized in nature,
2) making them an instability factor (?!) for India

BD point of view: Indo-paki WMDs never did and never will scare 150 million Bengalis from maintaining their sovereignty!
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Re: Bangladesh News and Discussion

Post by sum »

That was one last pathetic attempt by the US and the Brits to prevent the inevitable independence of Bangladesh.
:rotfl:
Wonder how this "inevitable" thing would have happened if India had not decided to save your sorry a$$es from the Canadian visa donating Pakis....
Pak '71 approach-
1) Bengalis of East Pakistan are highly hindu-ized in nature,
2) and, therefore, are an instability factor (?!) for Pakistan

present India approach:
1) Bengalis of Bangladesh are all radically islam-ized in nature,
2) making them an instability factor (?!) for India

BD point of view: Indo-paki WMDs never did and never will scare 150 million Bengalis from maintaining their sovereignty!
:-?
Doesn't this tell you that there is something seriously wrong with the BD folks if two arch-rivals agree on one thing, that BD is a massive instability causer for both?
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Re: Bangladesh News and Discussion

Post by SRoy »

ShakilAnam wrote: BD point of view: Indo-paki WMDs never did and never will scare 150 million Bengalis from maintaining their sovereignty!
BDs
Avinash R
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Re: Bangladesh News and Discussion

Post by Avinash R »

Bangladesh's minority Hindus seek security before polls
http://in.news.yahoo.com/43/20081206/87 ... ek-se.html

Sat, Dec 6 04:56 PM

Dhaka, Dec 6 (IANS) Most of the minority Hindus in Bangladesh, in a survey, said they faced 'repression' during the 2001 poll and want greater security for the elections scheduled for Dec 29, a media report said Saturday.

According to a survey released Friday, 64.76 percent of 1,388 respondents said they were subjected to repression in the 2001 polls, while 38.2 percent of 1,403 respondents said they felt insecure for being members of the Hindu community, The Daily Star newspaper said.

At least 36 percent of 1,426 respondents said they and their relatives think of leaving the country for the same reason, said the report of the survey conducted on 1,552 Hindus.

During the discussion on the survey, a group of human rights activists and academics decided that the Election Commission (EC) should arrange special security measures in the upcoming national polls in the constituencies where minority communities were subjected to repression during and after the 2001 elections.

'Memories of rape and barring from casting votes in many constituencies in 2001 polls still haunt the minds of the Hindus, the speakers said,' The Daily Star newspaper reported Saturday.

Such incidents have increased the sense of insecurity among minority communities before the polls, said the speakers.

'We should write to the Election Commission asking it to mark the constituencies where minorities were repressed during and after the 2001 polls as 'red areas',' said Bangladesh Mahila Parishad general secretary Ayesha Khanam.

The discussion on the survey report on the state of minority communities in Bangladesh was organised by Sampriti Mancha, an NGO.

Presenting the survey report, journalist Ajoy Dasgupta said the properties of the Hindus were grabbed by influential people in some areas after the election violence in 2001, increasing the sense of insecurity among the community members.

'The authorities concerned must take steps to ensure that the violent incidents occurred during 2001 polls do not take place again in the upcoming election,' he said, adding that a huge number of Hindus were deprived of their voting rights in the last election.

Dasgupta said 59.5 percent of 1,440 respondents were afraid that their properties were under threat because of the Vested Properties Act (VPA).

The VPA is a law that was called Enemy Property Act in the era when Bangladesh was part of Pakistan. The nomenclature was changed after 1971, but the provisions continue to target the religious minorities, especially the Hindus who were the landed gentry during the British era.

Terming the findings about the Hindu community 'sad', Regulatory Reforms Commission chairman and former adviser to a caretaker government Akbar Ali Khan said the whole society gets affected when a state makes discrimination against any section of its population.

'We must root out the vested groups that patronise fanatics,' he added.

Imtiaz Ahmed of the international relations department of Dhaka University said the Muslims of Bengal were basically tolerant.
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Re: Bangladesh News and Discussion

Post by Nesoj »

This current lot of Bangladeshis on the web & press seem to be nothing but the unwanted offspring of those countless Bangladeshi women gangraped by the Pakistani army and Razakars in those final days. Their bonhomie and bhai'ness with the Puki's should be understood as they are just eager to connect with their 'bhai's of another mother'. Not to abuse them or call them names, but actually they could be 'b@s****s.

And for all their bhai'ness, why are their 'Bihari Muslim Bhai's still interned in refugee camps, and only allowed to vote after 37 years ?
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Re: Bangladesh News and Discussion

Post by Avinash R »

British doctor beaten, held as forced marriage hostage by family in Bangladesh

Sunday, December 7, 2008

London, December 7 (ANI): A London trainee GP has been beaten and withheld hostage by her family who are forcibly trying to marry her to a stranger in Bangladesh.

Dr Humayra Abedin, who has remained a prisoner since August by her parents, is believed to have been gagged, tied and violently struck to make her submit to her parents' wishes.

The 33-year-old had trained as a doctor in Bangladesh and arrived in England to pursue her studies at Leeds University, reports the Independent.

Dr. Abedin, who had made East London her home while working in hospitals since 2002, is said to have developed a close bond with a Hindu Bangladeshi man - an act vehemently opposed by her Muslim family.

She had been baited to fly to Dhaka on the pretext of her mother's illness where the family has ignored orders from the Bangladeshi high court to release their girl.

The daughter of a retired businessman and a housewife has been held captive since August 5 while being denied any contact with friends or attorneys though she managed to send an email to a close pal describing her plight.

Anne-Marie Hutchinson, the barrister from Renaissance Chambers acting for Dr Abedin, said: "There are real concerns for the safety of this young woman. These proceedings will not end until she is produced.

"If we are too late and she has been married, it [the Forced Marriage Act] will help us to bring nullity proceedings for her."
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Re: Bangladesh News and Discussion

Post by archan »

Bangladeshis are taking over Guj coast
DWARKA: The risk of infiltration along the Gujarat’s slackly guarded coastline is being gravely heightened by the sprouting of a maze of Bangladeshi settlements, hundreds of which have already infested the state’s seaboard. Curiously, foreign nationals have now become ‘local residents’, having acquired election and ration cards!
Abhi bhi time hai...I wish the common people in India wake up to this threat ASAP.
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Re: Bangladesh News and Discussion

Post by svinayak »

ShakilAnam wrote:
present India approach:
1) Bengalis of Bangladesh are all radically islam-ized in nature,
2) making them an instability factor (?!) for India

BD point of view: Indo-paki WMDs never did and never will scare 150 million Bengalis from maintaining their sovereignty!
India's view are for people inside India. Why are BD people worried inside India.
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Re: Bangladesh News and Discussion

Post by Stan_Savljevic »


The 'grand alliance' formed between Sheikh Hasina's Awami League and H.M. Ershad's Jatiya Party ahead of the December 29 poll in Bangladesh has ended over a dispute on seats. Former military ruler Ershad angrily walked out of a meeting late Wednesday with former Prime Minister Hasina. The two-and-a-half hour meeting ended without any consensus "as both leaders stood rigid on their points", the Website of The Daily Star newspaper said.

Ershad wanted 47 Parliamentary seats for his Jatiya Party, but the Awami League was reportedly not willing to give more than 31. It was not clear if Ershad was switching sides to Hasina's political rival, Begum Khaleda Zia, who leads a four-party alliance of Islamists, political analysts said. Ershad had made overtures to Zia in the past. Both Hasina and Zia had combined in 1990 to organise a mass movement that led to Ershad's ouster.

There is also a chance that the Jatiya Party might stay away from the poll. The party's acting chairperson Anisul Islam Mahmood told The Daily Star on Wednesday evening that his party would announce shortly whether it would take part in the upcoming Parliamentary elections. As Bangladesh prepares to go into campaign mode after the Eid holiday, the military-backed caretaker government has announced that it will lift the national emergency on December 17, subject to administrative contingencies and approval of President Iajuddin Ahmed. Lifting of the emergency, imposed in January last year when the ninth general poll was cancelled after months of political turmoil, was the unanimous demand of all parties.
http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/holn ... 111312.htm
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