Bangladesh News and Discussion

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 24 Oct 2010 07:33

brihaspati wrote: If Islamism fails in delivering this , and "becoming Hindu" or "Buddhist" provides land/women/property opportunities - and such a process demands going for India, then there will be no problem in turning hugely pro-India. in that case, we will see a profound sudden "rediscovery" of Bengali "traditional culture" affiliated strongly with "India".

How can this be expedited and made sure that this prevails not only in BD but all of India.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 24 Oct 2010 12:26

BD agrees to give access to Chittagong & Mongla ports to India

Bangladesh has agreed to give India access to its Chittagong and Mongla ports. This move will help in enhancing the economic engagement and trade between Bangladesh and the entire eastern and north-eastern India.

“Bangladesh has responded positively to India's request for accessing these ports,” the Commerce and Industry Minister, Mr Anand Sharma, told presspersons here after holding talks with his Bangladeshi counterpart, Mr Muhammad Faruk Khan.

This will also increase investment and joint ventures between the east and North-East India and Bangladesh, Mr Sharma said.

Mr Khan said: “This has been decided between the Governments that Bangladesh will give access. But once the discussions are over, this will be done, of course.” Earlier since Bangladesh was not giving access, India was building an alternative multi-modal route from Mizoram to Myanmar through the river Kaladan. In this regard, India was helping Myanmar develop Sittwe port. The two sides also signed an MoU for establishing Haats along the Meghalaya-Bangladesh border.

In the power sector, India and Bangladesh have already signed the $1-billion Line of Credit, the Bulk Power Transmission Agreement and an MoU between NTPC and Bangladesh Power Development Board.

Mr Sharma said India was currently constructing seven Integrated Check Posts and eight Land Custom Stations under a $125-million ASIDE scheme.

The two sides are also in discussion to construct the bridge across the Feni to begin trade between Sabroom and Ramgarh.

India and Bangladesh have also agreed to increase their bilateral trade from the present level of $3 billion to $5 billion in two years.

Two agreements on procedures were signed to facilitate movement of trucks between the two countries and also for movement of trucks from Nepal to Bangladesh both up to Land Customs Stations, thus fulfilling important commitments made during the visit of the Bangladeshi Prime Minister, Ms Sheikh Hasina, an official statement said.

krisna · Post by **krisna** » 11 Nov 2010 00:32

^^^^ similar news from BD minister.
India can now access Bangladesh ports: Minister

Bangladesh will allow South Asian nations, including India, to access its Chittagong and Mongla ports and is keen to revive connectivity in the region, the country's foreign minister said here Wednesday.

'Bangladesh government wants to revive the decades old rail, road and air connectivity with all south-east Asian countries, specially India, for the expansion of trade and economic activity,' Foreign Minister Dipu Moni said while addressing a business summit here.
Countries like India, Nepal, Bhutan, among other South Asian nations, will benefit the most, she said.
Earlier, access to these ports was denied to India and a few other countries due to security concerns raised by some opposition parties in Bangladesh.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar said that his government is willing to supply electricity to power-starved Bangladesh from the two upcoming thermal power projects in the state, subject to central approval.

Bangladesh has agreed to allow an Indian company to set up an information technology park at Ariapark, near Dhaka. Also, Tatas have decided to manufacture vehicles in Bangladesh, which will be exported all over the world,' said Abdul Matlub Ahmad, president of India-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
'New Delhi has sanctioned Rs.12.50 crore for the development of land customs stations (LCS) located along the India-Bangladesh border,' Indian envoy to Bangladesh Rajeet Mitter said, adding that trade between the two countries has huge scope for growth.

Bangladesh can benefit more with partnering India than with china. It will be beneficial for both countries.

vic · Post by **vic** » 13 Nov 2010 19:18

DHAKA | Sat Nov 13, 2010 3:20pm IST

DHAKA (Reuters) - Police in Bangladesh fired tear gas and rubber bullets on Saturday to clear demonstrators trying to prevent authorities from evicting the leader of the opposition from a home she has occupied since 1982.

At least 50 people were injured and more than 20 demonstrators were detained.

Police and witnesses said up to 4,000 protesters, armed with sticks and stones, set fire to vehicles and attacked officers near the headquarters of former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

Clashes intensified as security forces cordoned off Khaleda's residence in the garrison as a deadline set by the High court on Friday neared for her to vacate the house.

It was not immediately clear whether the former prime minister had vacated the house. A defence ministry spokesman said authorities hoped Khaleda would leave to show compliance with the law and move into the house reserved for the leader of the opposition.

Khaleda's residence on a sprawling compound was leased to her by the government in 1982, after her husband, former president General Ziaur Rahman, was killed in an abortive coup.

The government of current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina cancelled the lease last year to put up multi-storey buildings to accommodate familes of army officers killed in a mutiny in a paramilitary unit headquarters in Dhaka. Cooool

RoyG · Post by **RoyG** » 13 Nov 2010 21:22

B'desh police lay siege to Khaleda Zia's cantonment residence

Posted: Sat Nov 13 2010, 14:54 hrs

Bangladesh police and paramilitary forces laid a siege around Opposition BNP chief Khaleda Zia's cantonment residence as the Army said a process was underway to regain possession of the posh house in line with a High Court judgement.

Witnesses and television reports said several hundred policemen and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) forces were deployed in front Zia's residence while BNP leaders alleged she was under house arrest and they could not even contact them over phone.

"She is under house arrest, we could not even contact her," BNP secretary general Khondker Delwar Hossain told newsmen at the party office while party activists at different parts of the city staged violent protests pelting stones on vehicles prompting police chases.

The Army in a statement said it is the responsibility of all to execute the HC judgement regarding Khaleda Zia's Cantonment house and "we are bound to implement this judgement."

"The deadline for vacating the house expired yesterday and as concerned authorities the Cantonment Board's efforts are underway to enforce the High Court judgement" that had allowed Zia to stay at the posh residence for 30 days," Inter Service press Relations (ISPR) director Shahinul Islam told newsmen at the entrance of the cantonment barracks.

Islam said, the Cantonment Board, however, expected Zia to "abide by the court judgement."

The ISPR chief rejected a the opposition claim on the arrest but said "we are trying to contact her inside the house".

The development came as several newspapers today carried a report quoting unidentified BNP and army sources that the opposition was preparing the quit the house as she already moved some household items from there in the past several days.

The newspapers also carried a comment by ruling Awami League spokesman Mahbub-ul Alam Hanif appreciating Zia for her move to vacate her Cantonment residence and calling it a "wise decision" on the part of the opposition leader.

But the BNP secretary general said Zia had no plan to vacate the house and that was why "she preferred an appeal in the apex court against the High Court verdict."

Attorney general Mahbubey Alam two days ago warned ZIA against her possible exposure to "contempt of court" and eviction from posh cantonment residence unless she vacated it by Friday.

Alam also cautioned her that any government action to "evict her from the house will not be a violation of law" but expected Zia to vacate it ahead of any such step.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/bdesh ... e/710678/2

Ashley Kravitz · Post by **Ashley Kravitz** » 14 Nov 2010 01:50

^^

Ms. Khaleda Zia, the drama queen, after her eviction

brihaspati · Post by **brihaspati** » 14 Nov 2010 02:07

The BNP-Jamaat cadre will be held back until 29th, when SC is supposed to consider the appeal. But if the SC disappoints them, (which is likely) - the road is open for "direct action". How the army plays it will be crucial. Depends on whether forces greater than those behind the BNP (currently most possibly more from the Islamic world than the west) help the army to stay "neutral".

RajeshA · Post by **RajeshA** » 14 Nov 2010 02:33

Khaleda Zia should be given asylum in India. Bangladesh is no place for a lady with such grace and acting skills.

vic · Post by **vic** » 14 Nov 2010 17:09

I say Hasina in a brilliant move has labelled Khalida as instigator of BDR revolt and pitted her agains the army. Khalida should withdraw with grace otherwise she will be hammered

abhischekcc · Post by **abhischekcc** » 14 Nov 2010 19:48

Acharya wrote:
brihaspati wrote: If Islamism fails in delivering this , and "becoming Hindu" or "Buddhist" provides land/women/property opportunities - and such a process demands going for India, then there will be no problem in turning hugely pro-India. in that case, we will see a profound sudden "rediscovery" of Bengali "traditional culture" affiliated strongly with "India".
How can this be expedited and made sure that this prevails not only in BD but all of India.

Islamism/Wahhabism became a problem in this century only - when oil became important to the global economy (dislocating coal) and it was discovered that ME has the largest reserves of extractable oil. On top of this, the al-Saud family depends on the approval of Wahhabi mullahs for some amount of legitimacy. Before this growth in Islamism, Islam was on the withdrawal across the world - in Central Asia (because of Russia and in India - these two being prominent.

Hence, the three conditions for expansion of Arabic Islam are

1. Importance of oil in the global economy - this not only provides significant money for pursuing jihad, it also prevents victim countries of Islamic terror from taking effective action against them.
2. Presence of oil in ME.
3. Al-Saud family' compulsions.

So logically, the 'rediscovery' of ancient cultural traditions by currently muslim populations are:
1. Discovery/development of non-oil power sources. (Incidentally, one of the reasons for Indo-US nuclear deal was this only.)
2. Discovery of oil reserves outside muslim countries that are so large that KSA loses its pricing power. (This is unlikely to happen.)
3. The lose of power by Al-Saud family in KSA. (This is the easiest to do, but also the one most likely to trigger WW3 - so nobody wants to even think this

)

Hari Seldon · Post by **Hari Seldon** » 14 Nov 2010 20:44

The ~~hart~~fart breaks at the half-naked injustice meted out on the gentle and honorable srimati khaleda zia ulhaq.

May her every tear become fear in the harts of her party. /snark

Kati · Post by **Kati** » 14 Nov 2010 21:07

Don't look surprised on this latest Zia development........Hasina has been folding her net slow but steadily against BNP and Khaleda for quite some time....especially after BDR revolt. Tarek Zia was beaten black and blue in prison last year and ended up in London for treatment with broken bones. Hasina made sure the public doesn't have much sympathy for BNP and Jamaat,
and for that reason the country-wide literary, cultural and academic extravaganza has been launched, and for good reason - to wean away people from fundamentalist ideas. BNP and Jamaat supporters' hysterical reactions are understandable....this is their last ditch effeor to survive...so they are using Zia to rally support.....but public is not buying....all these nuisance will die down in a few days.........

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 17 Nov 2010 11:50

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Banglades ... 26992.aspx

Not good.

Bangladesh releases Pakistanis who plotted attack on Indian mission
Indo-Asian News Service
Dhaka, November 16, 2010

Bangladesh has handed over three Pakistanis, suspected of planning attacks on the Indian and the US missions in Dhaka, to the Pakistan embassy, a media report said. Syed Abdul Kaiyum Azhari alias Sufian, 22, Mohammad Ashraf alias Zahid, 24, and Mohammad Monwar Ali, 30, were arrested for their
suspected links to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a banned Pakistan-based group.

They were freed from prison on the directives of the home ministry.

"The jail authorities freed them following a negotiation between the foreign ministries of the two countries," Senior Superintendent of Dhaka Central Jail Towhidul Islam told The Daily Star.

"The assistant consular of the Pakistan embassy and a protocol officer received the three Pakistani men," the official said of the exchange that took place last Saturday.

The report said that a team of detectives arrested the Pakistanis on November 13 from the city's Uttara locality for their alleged affiliation with LeT in a plot to attack the US embassy and Indian high commission in Dhaka.

However, bdnews24.com, a news website, said that they were arrested in 2009 and one of them was recruiting local activists.

A police official said that the Pakistani men held valid passports and visas but could not show any work permit or explain the source of funds for their living expenses.

ArmenT · Post by **ArmenT** » 12 Dec 2010 21:59

Three killed, dozen hurt in Bangladesh clashes

At least three people were killed and dozens more injured when police in Bangladesh clashed with garment factory workers demanding better pay, police have said.

Police used batons and tear gas to disperse thousands of protesters in Dhaka and Chittagong.

The unrest came a day after demonstrations shut down factories in southern Bangladesh.

The workers say wages have not gone up, even though rises were due last month.

Murugan · Post by **Murugan** » 14 Dec 2010 14:23

Hakla is not liked by Bangladeshis. at least bangladeshis know the real hakla

'The King of vulgarity'

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 17 Dec 2010 23:28

Happy Liberation Day Bangladesh!

brihaspati · Post by **brihaspati** » 17 Dec 2010 23:37

They have arrested Shaka Chowdhury - a long standing enfant terrible of BD politics, alleged to have serious and direct role in killing Hindus as well as Muslim sympathizers of the liberation movement in the Chittagong area. Shaka was resurrected by the BNP.

AKalam · Post by **AKalam** » 18 Dec 2010 00:27

As there is no one else here from Bangladesh, on behalf of Bangladeshi people and country, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Indian people, govt. and Armed forces for the help and sacrifices in 1971, without which it would probably be impossible for us to rid ourselves of the oppressive and illegitimate Pakjabi dominated ruling regime.

I would also like to make a note that the forces that were unleashed in 1947, of Muslim separatism in the subcontinent based on two nation theory, claimed more lives and created bitterness for generations to come between two of the largest ethnic groups in the Eastern and Western end of subcontinent in 1971, which after the carnage of 1947 (an event that broke apart these same two large regions of Punjab and Bengal and created bitterness of different religious groups within these same two ethnic groups) was the second major event of blood letting.

Hopefully that will be last one, hopefully better senses will prevail in the subcontinent to avoid any such events in the future and hopefully all of these issues will be resolved, wounds will be healed and we will be able to again live like one big happy family, like in the past, despite the different religious views that took root in the subcontinent in the past centuries.

RajeshA · Post by **RajeshA** » 18 Dec 2010 03:21

AKalam ji,

The independence of Bangladesh would always remain one of the proudest moments in the annals of India's history.

Happy Victory Day!

brihaspati · Post by **brihaspati** » 18 Dec 2010 03:54

Akalam bhai,
do you have the names of the six convicted killers of Bangabandhu still freely roaming around in UK?

AKalam · Post by **AKalam** » 18 Dec 2010 18:05

brihaspati wrote:Akalam bhai,
do you have the names of the six convicted killers of Bangabandhu still freely roaming around in UK?

brihaspati ji,

Here is a detailed account of the latest status:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassinat ... bur_Rahman

Quoted from above link:

Trial

The military decided not to court-martial the military officials who masterminded and participated in the coup. No case was registered with the police, by relatives of Mujib or his party men, either. In fact, the conspirators could not be tried in court of law on the charge of assassination because of the Indemnity Act passed by the government under President Khondaker Mustaq Ahmed. However, when Awami League, led by Mujib's daughter, Sheikh Hasina, won the election in 1996, it repealed the Act. The Bangabandhu murder trial commenced. Col. (Rtd.) Syed Faruque Rahman was arrested from his Dhaka Old DOHS home. Col. (Rtd.) Bazlul Huda was brought bck from Bankok, where he was serving sentence for shop lifting, as part of criminal exchange program between Thailand and Bangladesh. Lt. Col. Mohiuddin Ahmed was active in military service when he was arrested. Col. (Rtd.) Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan was on active diplomatic service, appointed by previous Prime Minister of Bangladesh Begum Khaleda Zia, and returned back to Bangladesh when he had been called back by foreign ministry. Later he was arrested. Col. (Rtd.) Abdur Rashid and other accused, however, left Bangladesh as 1996 general election showed an upcoming Awami League victory. Colonel (Rtd.) Rashid is now reportedly shuttling between Pakistan and Libya. One accused, Major (Rtd.) Aziz Pasha, reportedly died in Zimbabwe before the commencement of trial. All these men were also involved in jail killing in November 1975.[citation needed]

The trial ended on November 8, 1998, and death sentences in firing squad was given, by the District and Session Judge of Dhaka Mohammad Golam Rasul, to 15 out of 20 accused of the assassination; however, Taheruddin Thakur, former Information Minister and one of the prime conspirator, was exonerated. He later died naturally in 2005.[3] However, the sentences were yet to be carried out as five of the convicts sought permission to file appeals in the high court. High court bench comprising Justice Mohammad Ruhul Amin (Chief Justice of Bangladesh from 2007 to 2008) and Justice A B M Khairul Haque (current Chief Justice of Bangladesh) gave divisive verdict. Senior Justice Amin acquitted 5 out of original 15 accused, but junior Justice Haque upheld the lower court verdict. So another verdict fron a third judge became essential. Later, as a third judge Justice Mohammad fazlul Karim (immediate past Chief Justice of Bangladesh) accused 12 out of original 15 including 2 acquitted in Justice Amin's verdict. As 5 accused again appealed to Appellate Division, decision remained pending due to a shortage of minimum requirement of three judges for a hearing session since August 2001, as several of judges embarrassed to hear the case. On June 18, 2007, one of the conspirators who had been sentenced to death, Major (Rtd.) A K M Mohiuddin Ahmed, was extradited to Bangladesh from the United States, following a series of failed attempts to gain asylum or permanent residency in the United States. On August 7, 2007, the murder case hearings resumed after six years.[4]

The appellate division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh gave its verdict on November 19, 2009, after a five member special bench, headed by Justice Mahammad Tafazzal Islam, (later Chief Justice of Bangladesh in 2009) spent 29 days hearing the petition filed by the death row convicts.[3][5]

The appeal of the convicts was rejected and the death sentence was upheld.[6] Before the verdict, approximately 12,000 extra policemen were deployed to guard strategic buildings, including the Supreme Court, to prevent any attempt to disrupt the proceedings by the convicted men's supporters.[6] The men's supporters have been blamed by the government for a grenade attack on one of the prosecution lawyers in October 2009, although no one has been charged yet.[6]

Captain (Rtd.) Qismet Hashem, Captain (Rtd.) Nazmul Hossain Aanssar and Major (Rtd.) Abdul Majid were acquitted through out the high court division and appellate division verdicts and are, now, living in Canada.

Conspirators Major (Rtd.) Bazlul Huda, Lieutenant Colonel (Rtd.) Mohiuddin Ahmed, Major (Rtd.) A.K.M. Mohiuddin Ahmed, Colonel (Rtd.) Syed Faruque Rahman and Colonel (Rtd.) Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan were executed on 28 January 2010.[7]

It seems that all who were convicted have either died or were executed except for one:

Col. (Rtd.) Abdur Rashid and other accused, however, left Bangladesh as 1996 general election showed an upcoming Awami League victory. Colonel (Rtd.) Rashid is now reportedly shuttling between Pakistan and Libya. One accused, Major (Rtd.) Aziz Pasha, reportedly died in Zimbabwe before the commencement of trial. All these men were also involved in jail killing in November 1975.

The only one I personally met once was Major (Rtd.) A.K.M. Mohiuddin Ahmed, while he was still living in Los Angeles, before the extradition. His son, a local architect, tried in vain to stop the extradition but failed.

Ashoka · Post by **Ashoka** » 21 Dec 2010 05:10

This should be looked at very seriously. Khaleda getting cozy with Chinese.

http://www.bdnews24.com/details.php?cid ... 82173&hb=5

A cultural programme was organised in her honour afterwards.

Chowdhury said the opposition leader's meeting with communist party leaders was focused on some bilateral issues of common concern of the two countries. Read India.

"Emphasis was made on developing the relationship between the two parties," he added.

Earlier Khaleda attended a lunch hosted by the Communist Party of China.

Khaleda left Dhaka on Saturday for China at the invitation of the Communist Party.

So CCP invited Khaleda & discussed 'bilateral issues', even when she is not in power. No prize for guessing what they discussed. We should be keeping an eye on what she does next in terms of political moves. May be some sort of rebellion or even a BDR type drama seems to be in the offing.

brihaspati · Post by **brihaspati** » 21 Dec 2010 06:46

There was similar talk of party-party ties between the CCP and the Congress some time ago. if the CCP does not do a similar hanky-panky with the largest opposition party in India, then it fits the pattern. But more importantly, this has gone on before.

Now it takes on the added significance of a certain message the CCP is trying to send out to what it sees as the "western axis" - West+Israel+India. That China is willing to play balance with BNP if the "west" backs up AL. But CCP as usual blunders its way into things that can make it vulnerable. If CCP closes up too much with the BNP-Jamaat axis, then lots of uncomfortable things could be speculated upon. Such as given that over the recent years in BNP-Jamaat regime, there were significant defense tie-ups- and arms purchases going on, did CCP have a leverage on what happened with the terror tie-ups and say the BDR attempted coup?

Given that many of the officers killed had extensive exposure to the "west" through UN tours, did such a thing had the go-ahead of a joint Communist China- Jihadi Islam nod to try and get rid of as many of the "unreliable" military commanders as possible? For those visiting from the "other" side of the border!

Hari Seldon · Post by **Hari Seldon** » 26 Dec 2010 06:09

This is a tehelka report, so TIFWIW only.

UK trains Bangladeshi government's "death squad": Wikileaks

The UK government, however, says that it provides only human rights training to RAB

But of course. Only. We only gave the madmen guns, showed how to use them, told them who the enemy was and left.

The United Kingdom (UK) has been training the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), a paramilitary organisation in Bangladesh, known for its notoriety - it is said to have conducted more than 1000 extra-judicial killings since 2004 - revealed a leaked United States (US) diplomatic cable.

Termed as a "government death squad" by various human rights organisations, members of the RAB have received training in "investigative interviewing techniques" and "rules of engagement" by the British for over three years now, said the cable which was leaked by the online whistleblower, WikiLeaks.

The reason for British involvement in Bangladesh stems from the UK's (along with those of the US) counter-terrorism objectives. Interestingly, however, the US government had refused to provide assistance to RAB other than training in human rights related projects. This is because it would be illegal under US laws to support an organisation whose members commit gross human rights violations.

Calling them "crossfire" deaths, the RAB has reported killing 622 people till March this year, up from 577 till September 2009. It has also been accused of using torture, kidnapping people, extortion, and taking bribes to carry out these killings.

Some cables, however, quote US Ambassador to Dhaka James Moriarty. One of them said, "(The RAB) is an enforcement organization, best positioned to, one day become a Bangladeshi version of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)."

The cables have also revealed that both the British and the Americans favour the strengthening of the force as "RAB enjoys a great deal of respect and admiration from a population scarred by decreasing law and order over the last decade." In the cable, Moriarty also said that the US is "constrained by RAB's alleged human rights violations, which have rendered the organisation ineligible to receive training or assistance."

Though the British Foreign Office has said in a statement that it only provides "human rights training to RAB," Mejbah Uddin, head of training of RAB said in an interview with the British daily, The Guardian, that he was unaware of any human rights training being given by the UK, since his appointment last year.

And so on and so forth. However,, if its the cutie-pies of the jamaat-e-islami at the receiving end of the RAB, I wouldn't perhaps mourn as co-piously only. Its what happens after BNP returns to power that concerns me. SH shopuld disband this RAB thingies before leaving office, IMHO.

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 27 Dec 2010 10:56

Chittagong port stops Indian ship from sailing

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/chitt ... ng/729707/

Samudragupta · Post by **Samudragupta** » 29 Dec 2010 21:00

B'desh invites ONGC to explore gas in restive hill region

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/new ... 180494.cms

Samudragupta · Post by **Samudragupta** » 29 Dec 2010 21:08

Bangladesh: Steady Progress

http://www.washingtonbanglaradio.com/co ... y-progress

Samudragupta · Post by **Samudragupta** » 29 Dec 2010 21:13

Bangladesh cleric arrested over woman's death‎

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/ar ... 9c131f5.a1

India dominates B''desh political, foreign center-stage in 2010

http://news.in.msn.com/international/ar ... id=4733036

ArmenT · Post by **ArmenT** » 13 Jan 2011 12:10

Bangladesh to probe Grameen Bank

Dunno if this is politically motivated or not, because it is known that Sheikh Hasina doesn't like Prof. Yunus.

Kati · Post by **Kati** » 31 Jan 2011 09:05

Hasina's Two Years of ChallengeBy
Haroon Habib
(from Tripurainfo.com)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

While it is a bit early to judge Sheikh Hasina government's performance, it surely deserves a special mention for bringing about fundamental changes in some vital sectors in two years.

In the 40 years since the independence of Bangladesh, the Awami League, which led the freedom struggle against Pakistan, has been able to run the government for only three terms, including the present tenure. And for Sheikh Hasina, daughter of the slain founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, it is the second term.

Surely, people's expectations were very high because the 'grand alliance' led by Sheikh Hasina promised a change, and a brighter and forward-looking future. It won the 2008 general elections, bagging 230 out of the 300 parliamentary seats.

The landslide for the "pro-liberation" alliance was, understandably, due to its pre-election pledges which reflected the aspirations of the people who were eager to see the exit of the controversial military-backed interim rule, and wanted a replacement for the coercive political culture that was set forth by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party-Jamaat coalition.

A period of two years is not enough to judge a government that has a five-year mandate. But the Hasina government deserves a special mention for bringing about some fundamental changes in some vital sectors. Undoubtedly, one such area was the tough handling of religious extremists and militants who were trying to undermine the liberal democratic system. The new guards in Dhaka have acted firmly against the growing menace of extremism and demonstrated their commitment, which was absent when Khaleda Zia was in power in a coalition with the fundamentalists.

The trial of criminals of the 1971 war of liberation was another major step the government boldly initiated. Badly needed to establish the rule of law and put straight the record of the history of independence, the trial of those who committed crimes against humanity as collaborators of the Pakistan army further alarmed the religious extremists as well as the main opposition BNP, which forged a unified stand with the extremist sections against the Hasina government.

The last two years have also seen the completion of a major judicial process in which the convicted killers of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman were sent to the gallows.

Another important sector the government has paid adequate attention to is the restoration of regional connectivity for mutual cooperation. Dhaka should be credited with pursuing a forward-looking policy that has opened up a new vista in the relations with regional powers like India. The relations with China, another Asian giant, also received due consideration.

According to diplomatic analysts, the delicate issues of connectivity with New Delhi that the new government has pursued with courage and conviction would not only benefit the landlocked northeastern Indian States but also bring economic benefits to Bangladesh. They, however, say the past two years have been spent only in laying the foundations and results are likely as the government steps into its third year.

The beginning of the new trend in India-Bangladesh relations was evident when the Prime Minister paid a visit to New Delhi in January last year. The outcome of the visit, which came under sharp criticism from the BNP and its fundamentalist allies, nevertheless helped to clear the clouds that long overshadowed the relations between the next-door neighbours.

Criticism apart, the political leadership of India and Bangladesh took some major decisions during Ms Hasina's visit. Bangladesh, for the first time, allowed India, Nepal and Bhutan to use the Chittagong and Mongla seaports for the landlocked Indian northeast. In return, India allowed Bangladesh transit through its territory for trade with the landlocked Nepal and Bhutan. The transit to India through Bangladesh was considered a politically sensitive issue. But the new government moved forward decisively considering the economic aspects as well as the significance of opening up a new vista in regional cooperation. Bangladesh has also allowed India to use its Ashuganj riverport for transport of heavy equipment to construct a power plant in remote Tripura. The country also secured a loan of $1 billion from India to upgrade road and railway infrastructure. Unfazed by sharp criticism over forging closer ties with India, the Hasina government went ahead.

Another important step was Bangladesh undertaking to fulfil its commitment not to allow the use of its territory by Indian separatists or militants - an issue New Delhi kept insisting for long. In the last two years, Bangladesh has also been successful in clearing its name from the list of countries that harbour extremism.

However, while taking a few major steps forward, the two countries are yet to resolve the much discussed issue of sharing the waters of common rivers, including the Teesta. There has been an imperative need to settle the longstanding dispute over 6.5 km of the un-demarcated land boundary and remove the trade imbalance that heavily favours India. The killing of Bangladeshi civilians on the frontier, allegedly by Indian border guards, also needs to be looked into seriously.

Notwithstanding its successes, even the sympathisers of the government believe it has fallen behind in certain areas in which people expected it to be different. The continuing absence of the main Opposition in Parliament is not something that goes against the government alone. The BNP, still struggling to regain its rhythm following its electoral debacle, has failed to attend parliamentary sessions as part of its strategy to gain political mileage.

While admitting that the prices of commodities in the international market have gone up, it cannot be denied that during the past two years, the spiral has played havoc with citizens' lives. The power sector is another vital area in which the government is yet to come to grips, despite efforts to import and generate electricity. Many fear that the unabated increase in the prices of essential commodities and frequent power cuts have pinned the people down. As a result, the voters, who had great expectations from the Sheikh Hasina-led alliance, may be disappointed.

The overall law and order situation seemed to improve but the recklessness and high-handedness of a section of the ruling party's students and youth wing members have generated ill-feelings among the people. {I have been saying this for quite some time. This is hasina's biggest internal challange}

As for another top priority pledge - effective anti-corruption drive - the government has come under criticism that it has not lived up to its promise. As during the BNP-Jamaat tenure, many graft cases against the ruling party men were dropped on the ground of political victimisation. The national anti-graft body has not been strengthened any further.

Many sympathisers of the government are worried about its performance in some areas on the economic front although the economy is on the right footing, thanks to a positive growth in the revenue income and better management of the agriculture sector. Education is another vital sector where the government performed well.

Politicisation of civil administration has been a concern the Hasina government inherited but its political opponents allege that the problem has reached new heights. Extra-judicial killings of suspected miscreants continue to be criticised by human rights bodies. Well-wishers have advised the government to make a course correction and focus on certain areas in which it has failed to make substantial progress.

Only a week before the end of her first two years in power, did Sheikh Hasina declare that the honeymoon period of her government was over. As she steps into the third year, the honeymoon seems truly over. The government, as indications suggest, may face a tougher challenge from the political opposition vis-a-vis the major initiatives it has undertaken in the last two years.

(The writer is a senior Bangladesh journalist and analyst. He can be reached at: [email protected])

krisna · Post by **krisna** » 03 Feb 2011 23:18

Bangladesh wants to redraw sea border with India

Bangladesh will approach the UN seeking to delineate its maritime borders in the Bay of Bengal with India and Myanmar. Bangladesh claims over 450 nautical miles from its coastline in the Bay of Bengal. The country has long-standing problems with India and Myanmar on the issue of "starting point" to mark its marine boundary.
There are overlapping claims by all three neighbouring countries because of the funnel-like coastline of the Bay of Bengal, New Age newspaper said on Thursday.

Under the UN provision, no claims submitted by a country should be taken for final consideration before settling the overlapping claims.
A country is supposed to enjoy its rights to fishing and exploring and extracting other marine resources in 12-24 nautical miles of territorial sea from the coastline, 200 nautical miles of exclusive economic zone and maximum of 350 nautical miles of continental shelf.

It will be tough to exactly demarcate the individual nation's claims considering the geography.

Anindya · Post by **Anindya** » 10 Feb 2011 08:12

Wonder what the security implications are here....

http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/india ... desh-84245

New Delhi: India and Bangladesh are gearing up to solve a protracted cross-border land conflict. Both nations are preparing for a land swap of enclaves or pieces of land which lie in each other's territories.

These enclaves are pieces of land that the Maharaja of Cooch Behar and Rangpur won or lost in gambling and have existed since 1947. But, soon after Bangladesh's liberation in 1971, a pact was drawn between New Delhi and Dhaka for exchange of these territories.

India has 111 enclaves or nearly 17,000 acres of land within Bangladesh.

Bangladesh, meanwhile, has 51 enclaves or 7,000 acres within India.

Since India has more land in Bangladesh than Bangladesh has in India, India is going to lose about 10,000 acres of land.

RajeshA · Post by **RajeshA** » 10 Feb 2011 16:37

Anindya wrote:Wonder what the security implications are here....

http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/india ... desh-84245

Loss of 10,000 acres is a loss. We must however remember that a clearly demarcated border would decrease the border acrimony, border shootouts, etc. Such conflict ultimately feeds into the anti-Indianism which allows BNP and JI to come to power in Bangladesh.

Ravi Karumanchiri · Post by **Ravi Karumanchiri** » 16 Feb 2011 11:42

X-POSTED: India-Canada, Mexico and South America: News and Discussion

Convicted assassin living freely in Etobicoke
Amy Dempsey, Staff Reporter, The Toronto Star
Wednesday, February 16, 2011

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE: http://www.thestar.com/news/article/939 ... icoke?bn=1

The shots that killed the founding father of Bangladesh early one morning in 1975 came blasting out of a Sten submachine-gun held by a man named Nur Chowdhury.

Thirty-five years later, the assassin who pulled the trigger on president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman lives quietly in a modest condo building in Etobicoke.

He has never been punished for his crimes.

Chowdhury was sentenced to death for his role in the military coup that killed the president, his family and others in a massacre that catapulted the country into chaos.

But here in Canada, the death penalty is exactly what is keeping the 61-year-old man safe: Ottawa doesn’t deport people who face execution.

For that reason, Chowdhury remains here in limbo, even though Bangladesh wants him to face justice at home.

...

Chowdhury, who has lived in Canada since 1996, was tried in Bangladesh in absentia. He and 11 others were convicted and sentenced to death in April 2001 in a series of trials that Amnesty International declared were fair and unbiased.

...

Though the Canadian government obtained a court order to have him removed from the country several years ago, officials have since advised Bangladesh that Chowdhury will not deported as long as the death sentence sticks, according to sources who spoke to Maclean’s.

The Supreme Court of Canada ruled in 2001 that Ottawa cannot extradite fugitives unless the government obtains assurances they will not be executed.

If Bangladesh dropped Chowdhury’s punishment to a lesser sentence, extradition could be granted. But senior officials at Bangladesh’s High Commission in Ottawa told Maclean’s that Dhaka can no more undo the decisions of its high court than Canada can.

...

When a reporter knocked on Chowdhury’s door Tuesday evening, a male voice asked who was there. When the reporter identified himself, the man did not respond.

Chowdhury, who has surrendered his Canadian passport, must pay weekly visits to immigration authorities in Toronto because he is technically under a deportation order, which means he must keep the government aware of his whereabouts.

Years ago, Chowdhury used to be seen at some Toronto Bangladeshi community events....

“In one case, I think, one person slapped him. You can’t just go and slap someone in Canada, even if he’s been charged with killing several people.”

Since then... “he’s kept a low profile.”

With files from San Grewal

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE: http://www.thestar.com/news/article/939 ... icoke?bn=1

Kailash · Post by **Kailash** » 16 Feb 2011 16:04

Bangladesh's War on Terror

On Monday, top leaders of the United Liberation Front of Assam, the insurgent group that has terrorized the northeast region of India for the two decades, met Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as it begins peace talks with New Delhi—talks for which the group itself asked. What prompted ULFA to do so? In large part, because it had lost its base in Bangladesh. It's another sign that counterterrorism operations in that Muslim-majority country are starting to pay off.

After the army-backed caretaker government returned power to newly elected civilians in 2008, the centrist Awami League led by Ms. Hasina, the current prime minister, started a necessary course correction toward moderate Islam and friendly ties with India. As a first step, Ms. Hasina's government targeted militant groups like the JMB, JMJB and the Harkat ul Jehadi Islami Bangladesh. The Rapid Action Battalion, a new counterterror unit trained by the British, was set up in 2004; it currently numbers about 9,000. RAB has successfully broken the back of militancy, though at times it has violated human rights norms.

Through such efforts, Ms. Hasina has cautiously restored relations with India. Besides affirming her political party's historical ties with India, she openly acknowledges India's role in the creation of Bangladesh in the past. And for the future, she wants to integrate with the rapidly growing Indian economy, and instead distance her country from its tag as an Islamic republic and ally of Pakistan.

India has reasons to be pleased. Last month, two ULFA commanders were handed over by Bangladesh to Indian authorities. At this month's annual state chief ministers' conference on internal security, Home Minister P. Chidambaram, the politician charged with internal security in India, noted that violence from insurgencies in northeast India has declined dramatically.

If there's any indication that Bangladesh is starting to do some good for India, consider how Ms. Hasina's overtures are affecting China. Beijing, which has close ties with Bangladesh's military, is worried that Bangladesh may fall outside its sphere of influence. China has the potential to create some trouble here, given allegations that it's responsible for igniting the insurgencies in India's northeast.

Still, there's no doubt Bangladesh is fast becoming an oasis of stability in an otherwise dangerous neighborhood. This is great news for deradicalizing Muslims worldwide and for the global war on terror. And it's especially good for India's attempts to avoid another attack on its soil.

arun · Post by **arun** » 03 Mar 2011 20:16

X Posted from the Internal Security Watch thread.

Dr. Richard L Benkin in an article titled “Jihad Has Come To India” predicts that India is going to have an Islamic Terrorism problem emanating from Bangladesh:

March 03, 2011
Jihad Has Come to India
By Richard L. Benkin

Jihad has come to India. The Obama administration and the State Department will tell you that it is nothing more than isolated acts by individuals. The government in New Delhi will say you are stirring up anti-Muslim sentiment. The mainstream media will ask how you can say that when we are hearing nothing about it from them. But it is real, and it is happening now. I have seen it first-hand. The Obama administration's studied denial will find us caught as flat-footed in India as we were in Lebanon, Egypt, Libya, and elsewhere. The difference is that India is an economic and military giant, with nuclear weapons, and could be a cornerstone of any effective fight against radical Islam.

For several years, I have been talking about the progressive radicalization of Bangladesh. Although it is the only country that ranks among the ten most populous and the ten most densely populated, as well as being the second largest Muslim-majority nation, events there do not capture people's imagination. When you talk about India in the same context, however, people take notice. The thought of an Islamist dominated India scares the heck out of them and should. While our own strategic thinkers concentrate on internecine struggles in the Middle East, their obliviousness to the significance of an Islamist India has enabled our enemies to further their agenda.

I have spent several years along India's 2545 mile-long frontier with Bangladesh, and have seen the impact Bangladesh's radicalization has had on its giant neighbor to the west. Amitabh Tripathi, who has been fighting against what he calls his country's "soft policies," noted that Bangladesh's Muslims "are not radicalized but their institutions are." That radicalization and a level of corruption on both sides of the border that makes my fellow Chicagoans look like amateurs has already produced demographic change in many strategic areas of India. It also has given Muslim activists carte blanche throughout the entire country. The process is deliberate, has been going on for decades, and should send us a screaming warning signal, not only because of what it bodes for India, but also because of what sort of future the Obama administration's soft policies and tolerance for an open border to our south mean for the United States. ………………….

American Thinker

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 06 Mar 2011 09:10

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/06/world ... ml?_r=1&hp

Bangladesh tries to revisit it's bitter birth...

DHAKA, Bangladesh — In the last days of the bloody war that created this nation out of the eastern half of Pakistan in 1971, a gang of men abducted Dr. Alim Chowdhury, an eye surgeon and independence activist, from his home. Three days later, his battered body was found in a mass grave, his eyes gouged from his head.

His killers, members of a pro-Pakistan militia, were never punished. Moulana Abdul Mannan, the man who confessed to orchestrating the killing, according to a government investigation, went on to become a cabinet minister and member of the Bangladesh Parliament. He died in 2006.

Now, 40 years after Bangladesh’s independence struggle — one of the last century’s most wrenching conflicts, whose death toll may have exceeded one million people — the government here is seeking to prosecute individuals accused of atrocities like the one against Dr. Chowdhury.

The effort has touched a raw political nerve here and illustrates a conundrum of international law: Can a country, particularly a young and poor one, fairly try its own citizens for crimes against humanity?

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 13 Mar 2011 09:54

Border row: India, Bangla plan ‘land swap’ deal

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/borde ... al/761715/

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 29 Mar 2011 09:44

a discussion going on at BD forum on supporting pakistan. it seems more of the pro-paki BD's are BD citizens. http://www.banglacricket.com/alochona/s ... hp?t=36863

Kailash · Post by **Kailash** » 07 Apr 2011 13:10

Bangladesh seeks greater naval exchanges with India