Bangladesh News and Discussion

[lsunil]

BD will be as hopeless as AFG. The rising water level worries them and the fence being put up around the borders scares them. They reach out in hope that the door will be opened in case they need to run. In the meantime, they make inroads.

[Karna_A]

India lends Bangladesh one billion dollars as ties warm

"This one-billion-dollar line of credit is the largest ever given by India to any country," said Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in Dhaka.

BD ties to India are way more important than TSP ties to India and it should be treated that way.
The indo-gangetic plains all the way to BD has the potential to produce enough staple food for all the world's 6 billion population, if proper irrigation and crop techniques are used. This is the only area in world that has that capability.

BD shares Bangla language. If an impartial study of world's major languages is done, Bangla has the required finesse to be world's no. 1 language.
Also it's shortsighted on part of US to give aid to TSP that has a gun to its no brain head.

What US should do is have a pie of aid for South Asia say $7.5 billion and divide it equally between TSP and BD always. Why should any aid be given to TSP? If any country deserves aid, its BD that is trying to be the first secular Islamic nation.
Inspite of massive amounts of aid given by Western countries, China etc. to TSP, the development index of BD and TSP are not that different. Only shows that TSP aid is enriching coffers in dubai, UK and Swiss.

It was KSA that forced Secular BD to become Islamic as it refused aid to BD till it becomes Islamic. That ws when KSA had a per capita income of $25,000. Now its nominal per capita is $14K between Estonia and Trinidad. It will come down to $5K with incresing population, when it will have to request of aid.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_co ... per_capita

The best long term thing to do is to always buy hybrids and use public transportation and invest in electric vehicles. The straglehold of KSA has to be broken over oil, only then the present trend of wahabisation will stop.

[Hiten]

^^^

its BD that is trying to be the first secular Islamic nation

Though I got the point you are trying to make, jut wanted to point out the factual error - Turkey has already claimed that title

Nevertheless, more the better, for all.

[lsunil]

India to get access to landlocked N-E states through Bangladesh

"When we are thinking about transforming Bangladesh as a regional hub and when the entire region will be brought under the connectivity, India will have access to its northeastern states," she said, adding "unfettered movement of people and goods will be taking place."

One needs to wonder whether the costs are worth it. Do not forget that awami league and BNP received almost equal votes in the last election. 50% of that country are still unfavourable of india.

[Karna_A]

India to get access to landlocked N-E states through Bangladesh

"When we are thinking about transforming Bangladesh as a regional hub and when the entire region will be brought under the connectivity, India will have access to its northeastern states," she said, adding "unfettered movement of people and goods will be taking place."

One needs to wonder whether the costs are worth it. Do not forget that awami league and BNP received almost equal votes in the last election. 50% of that country are still unfavourable of india.

India does not need TSP. However, BD and Indian North East are like conjoined twins(paraphrasing Karzai).
An average ship can carry supplies worth 900 trains.
Just imagine 900 trains travelling through chickens neck vs. one ship at CHT port.

The world has to start ignoring TSP. It has to stop inviting its criminal leaders to Camp Davids, Hotel Taj or Buckingham Palaces.
Why would TSPA leave its dirty tricks when it gets itself billions in aid, best military equipment and monthly audience with world's most powerful for its bad behavior?

On the other hand, US policy should be to make equal-equal between TSP and BD, in which case one is given aid to improve its behaviour and other one is given EQUAL aid to commend its behaviour.

The world and India(including Indian media) have to start making an equal-equal of TSP and BD which is very close to reality than between India and TSP, which is like "Kahan Raja Bhoj, kahan gangu teli"

[lsunil]

Im not anti-trade. Just that i do not like the idea of free movement of people(or something on that line) with a country whose people forge ration cards and participate in the electoral system and change the demography of the entire region. Such an act is beyond worrying. We are already guilty of negligence. Do we have a plan or are we wishing for a miracle?

[negi]

Isunil I know this sounds like a cliche but the fact is it is in India's interest that its neighbors too make progress in relevant areas which are detrimental to the living standards of the local population, moreover a well connected region would ensure a more distributed pattern of developmental projects and in a way will address the issue of illegal immigration or even the disputes over land/water bodies. If Bangladesh is in a position to provide ample employment opportunities to its citizens then it is obvious that tendency to cross the border will decrease . Also from security perspective it makes sense to not alienate Bangladesh and its government else we would be playing into the hands of ISI-L.e.T-HUJI nexus.Lastly I think GOI might get a better RoI on this 1billion dollar aid than the CWG .

[Pratyush]

Here we go again

$1 billion loan from India suicidal: Khaleda Zia

[RajeshA]

The political economy of Bangladesh by Ishtiaq Ahmed: Daily Times

The key to development and progress is always a combination of political, economic, social and cultural changes that complement one another. Thus a country once derisively described by Henry Kissinger as the ‘world’s basket case’ can actually become the most dynamic of all South Asian nations

Micro-financing, female education and employment in the garment industry has meant that women are less available to produce children against their will. Consequently, the population growth rate in Bangladesh has decreased dramatically from the earlier 2.7 percent to 1.42 percent. The total fertility rate (TFR) that captures the population growth dynamics of a country has also improved positively. In Bangladesh it has declined from 6.85 children per women in 1970-75 to 2.36 in 2005-2010. It means smaller families, and if the family income is improving then it also means that the overall standard of living will improve.

[Uttam]

There are more interesting quotes in this articles. Therefore, posting in full.

The political economy of Bangladesh by Ishtiaq Ahmed: Daily Times

The news from Bangladesh in the last few years has been consistently good, though we in Pakistan have learnt more about the spectacular political advances that country has made in the last year or so. The political advances should indeed be described as spectacular because in an era salient with the menace of Islamism and terrorism, Bangladesh has most wisely and foresightedly chosen to establish itself as a secular democracy. No doubt the political basis for it was laid when an Awami League government won a landslide victory in the December 29, 2008 elections, but the crucial decision was taken by the Supreme Court of that country, which declared Bangladesh a secular democracy in constitutional terms.

Later, even more dramatic decisions have been taken, including a prohibition on the issuing of fatwas by the ulema and recently the media has reported that the government has decided to remove the books of Jamaat-e-Islami’s Maulana Maududi from public libraries. The latter decision may irk absolutist champions of the freedom of expression but it can be argued that during the formative phase of democracy, restrictions on the freedom of expression are justified if such freedom threatens peace and harmony.

The writings of the three main ideologues of Islamism: Maududi, Syed Qutb and Imam Khomeini appeal readily to semi-literate Muslims who have failed to enter the modern world and in reaction converted their frustration into damning the modern world as a product of some grand conspiracy against Islam. I consider as semi-literate a rather large portion of South Asian Muslim intelligentsia comprising engineers, doctors, ‘scientists’, mathematicians, ulema and literally the semi-literates because they have never been exposed to a liberal education that would make them question received wisdom or to the social sciences that tell us that modern human existence is too complex to be reduced to some magic formula of perfection if the wheel of time is turned back to the 7th century.

However, no political reform can succeed if the economic foundations remain inimical to such reform. A secular democracy is premised on the equality of men and women and if women are not empowered then democracy remains a procedural ritual to elect the government. The empowerment of Bangladeshi women started when a number NGOs began to promote female economic emancipation and education. In this regard the most well known is the one taken by Grameen Bank of Nobel Prize winner Dr Muhammad Yunus, as it started extending small loans to poverty-stricken women with a view to enabling them to set up small businesses and enterprises. Once women acquired the means to earn an income they began to assert their rights and independence, thus denting traditional male domination. The Grameen Bank model of micro-financing has proved to be a thundering success and has now been adopted by both developed and developing countries. The other leading NGO is the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC). It is said to be the largest NGO in the world, and apart from micro-credit, has many other roles such as non-formal education for women. BRAC is now also active in Afghanistan and in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province as well as in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Uganda and Sudan.

The third initiative is about prioritising such industrial development that can be profitably marketed globally. It was the apparel or garment industry that was chosen for stimulation and expansion. Currently Bangladesh is the fourth largest exporter of apparel after China, the EU and Turkey. It exported over $ 10 billion worth of apparel goods in 2009. Such production was particularly suited to a female workforce and thus proved to be another avenue for providing employment to women and thus empowering them.

Micro-financing, female education and employment in the garment industry has meant that women are less available to produce children against their will. Consequently, the population growth rate in Bangladesh has decreased dramatically from the earlier 2.7 percent to 1.42 percent. The total fertility rate (TFR) that captures the population growth dynamics of a country has also improved positively. In Bangladesh it has declined from 6.85 children per women in 1970-75 to 2.36 in 2005-2010. It means smaller families, and if the family income is improving then it also means that the overall standard of living will improve.

However, such initiatives can bear fruit only if the national outlook is properly geared and focused on productivity and all-round societal development. The current Awami League government of Sheikh Hasina decided that cooperation with India instead of confrontation had to be translated into practice. Fortunately for Bangladesh the absence of a large military meant that it never tried to enter into military competition with India. Although right-wing Bangladesh governments flirted with anti-India rhetoric, there was never any serious attempt to embark upon militarisation. It has enabled Bangladesh to invest its scarce resources into economic production and now the nation is benefiting from such policies. There is no evidence that India is planning to invade that country, and so a major bugbear accentuating the Bangladesh security paranoia is conspicuous by its absence.

The key to development and progress is always a combination of political, economic, social and cultural changes that complement one another. The combined impact of a number of initiatives has been that Bangladesh is currently the calmest country in the region. Thus a country once derisively described by Henry Kissinger as the ‘world’s basket case’ can actually become the most dynamic of all South Asian nations.

Since the Muslim world has the longest-running misogynist record in both time and space, one can theorise with confidence that the progress a Muslim nation has attained can be gauged by the empowerment of women it has achieved. Thus Saudi Arabia and Iran — both filthy rich — would be at the bottom of any ranking about progress and Turkey and Bangladesh at the top.

The second lousy record of the contemporary Muslim world pertains to the situation of religious and sectarian minorities. Once more advanced than medieval Europe, the Muslim world either stagnated at treating non-Muslims as dhimmis (non-Muslim subjects of a state governed in accordance with shariah law), or much worse in persecuting them to either convert to Islam or run away for their lives. Since Bangladesh now constitutionally asserts its secular democratic identity, hopefully the roughly 10 percent Hindu minority and the minuscule Buddhist tribes will also benefit from their right to equal citizenship.

The writer is a Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Stockholm University. He is also Honorary Senior Fellow of the Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore. He can be reached at [email protected]

[rahuls]

SC slams on contempt
Seems like Bangladesh Supreme Court is in a roaring mood, they are taking on everyone -- from islamists to media jokers to changing constitution and defining basic tenets.

[Pratyush]

I sincerely prey that the Bangladesh Supreme court (SC) is not stopped in its track by a Military led Coup. Also, that this government is allowed to complete the term of parliament.

As the direction that country is moving in, a lot of vested interests will be effected by the SC and the Govt.

[RamaT]

I was a bit surprised to see this news, pleasantly. Freedom is the only long-term answer and my respect for BD society just went up considerably. I wonder if this means if someone Muslim chooses to be Atheist they are able to without repercussions(officially, not family/clan).

Anyone know the breakdown of the population between Shia/Sunni/Sufi adherents? I'm aware Hindu's are 10%.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11054231

A Bangladesh court has ruled that people cannot be forced to wear skull caps, veils or other religious clothing in workplaces, schools and colleges.

This, I think is reading a step too far into the tea leaves by the UK news.. hopefully a reality one day though!

In the long run, the country's politicians want the country to transform into a secular democracy rather than an Islamic republic.

[Raghavendra]

India's first power project fuelled with Bangladesh gas to go on stream from December http://in.news.yahoo.com/139/20100822/8 ... led_1.html

[krisna]

Bangladesh Keen to Join Iran-Pakistan Gas Pipeline

Chairman of Bangladesh Energy Company (Petrobangla) Hossain Monsur announced that Dhaka welcomes Iran's invitation to join the multi-billion-dollar pipeline project which is due to bring Iran's gas to Pakistan.

Who will finance it to BD from the western part of India still a long way may be years.
Can be accelerated if baki implodes itself.

[AKalam]

I was a bit surprised to see this news, pleasantly. Freedom is the only long-term answer and my respect for BD society just went up considerably. I wonder if this means if someone Muslim chooses to be Atheist they are able to without repercussions(officially, not family/clan).

Anyone know the breakdown of the population between Shia/Sunni/Sufi adherents? I'm aware Hindu's are 10%.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11054231

A Bangladesh court has ruled that people cannot be forced to wear skull caps, veils or other religious clothing in workplaces, schools and colleges.

This, I think is reading a step too far into the tea leaves by the UK news.. hopefully a reality one day though!

In the long run, the country's politicians want the country to transform into a secular democracy rather than an Islamic republic.

Almost all Bangladeshi Muslims (around 146 million) are Sunni of Hanafi Madhab (sect). Shia Muslims are less than 100,000 in number and reside mainly in Urban areas. Sufi Dervish/Pir (saint) were responsible for most of the conversion to Islam in Bengal, so most Muslims are somehow tied with Sufism.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_in_Bangladesh

Role of Sufism

The tradition of Islamic mysticism known as Sufism appeared very early in Islam and became essentially a popular movement emphasizing worship out of a love of God[16] rather than fear. Sufism stresses a direct, unstructured, personal devotion to God in place of the ritualistic, outward observance of the faith and "a Sufi aims to attain spiritual union with God through love"[16] An important belief in the Sufi tradition is that the average believer may use spiritual guides in his pursuit of the truth. Throughout the centuries many gifted scholars and numerous poets have been inspired by Sufi ideas.[17][18]

Sufi masters were the single most important factor in South Asian conversions to Islam, particularly in Bangladesh. Most Bangladeshi Muslims are influenced by Sufism. However, there are many movements who were against Sufism and are still active in Bangladesh today. These include the Deobandi and Wahabi movements.

The Qadiri, Naqshbandi, Chishti, Mojaddidi, Ahmadi, Mohammadi, Sohradi and Refai orders were among the most widespread Sufi orders in Bangladesh in the late 1980s. Although a formal organization of ordained priests has no basis in Islam[citation needed], a variety of functionaries perform many of the duties conventionally associated with a clergy and serve, in effect, as priests. One group, known collectively as the Ulama, has traditionally provided the orthodox leadership of the community. The Ulama unofficially interpret and administer religious law. Their authority rests on their knowledge of Sharia.

The members of the Ulama include Maulvis, Imams, and Mullahs. The first two titles are accorded to those who have received special training in Islamic theology and law. A maulvi has pursued higher studies in a madrassa, a school of religious education attached to a mosque. Additional study on the graduate level leads to the title maulana. The madrassas are also ideologically divided in two mainstreams. The Ali'a Madrassa which has its roots in Aligarh movement of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan Bahadur and the other one is Quomi Madarassa which is very close to Deobandi schools in India and Pakistan founded by Haji Muhammad Abid of Deoband, India. This means the Ulamas are also not in full agreement about their interpretation of Islam, of its theology and law.

In Bangladesh, where a modified Anglo-Indian civil and criminal legal system operates, there are no official sharia courts. Most Muslim marriages, however, are presided over by the qazi, a traditional Muslim judge whose advice is also sought on matters of personal law, such as inheritance, divorce, and the administration of religious endowments.

In the late 1980s, the ulama of Bangladesh still perceived their function as that of teaching and preserving the Islamic way of life in the face of outside challenges, especially from modern sociopolitical ideas based on Christianity or communism. Any effort at modernization was perceived as a threat to core religious values and institutions; therefore, the ulama as a class was opposed to any compromise in matters of sharia. Many members of the ulama favored the establishment of an Islamic theocracy in Bangladesh and were deeply involved in political activism through several political parties.

A more detailed description of Sufism in Bangladesh:

http://www.banglapedia.org/httpdocs/HT/S_0580.HTM

[RamaT]

Thanks for the info AKalam ji, to the second part of my question.. is conversion/atheism a choice for those that wish it?

[AKalam]

Welcome RamaT ji. Apostasy from Islam (leaving the religion) is difficult while living in Bangladesh, but I have seen some openly apostate individuals in the Bangladeshi community in Los Angeles.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostasy_in_Islam

The violence or threats of violence against apostates in the Muslim world usually derives not from government authorities but from individuals or groups operating with impunity from the government.[37] An example is the stabbing of a Bangladeshi Murtad Fitri Christian evangelist while returning home from a film version of the Gospel of Luke.[38] Bangladesh does not have a law against apostasy, but some Imams encourage the killing of converts from Islam. Many ex-Muslims in Great Britain have faced abuse, violence, and even murder at the hands of Muslims.[39] There are similar reports of violent intimidation of those electing to reject Islam in other Western countries.[40]

[brihaspati]

The association of "sufi Islamics" as totally peaceful and completely distinct from mainstream Sunni-Hanafi "forceful" preaching is perhaps a modern colonial-post-colonial reconstruction. The early records from Sufi narrators themselves give a completely different picture. Almost every so-called spectacularly successful completely peaceful winning over of hearts and mind story hides a peculiarity that is always suppressed in modern versions - that they were invariably personally involved in military campaigns against conversion-resisting non-Musilm, that they were in close touch with formal Islamic armies or military commanders in close geographical proximity, that they typically married the daughters of defeated non-Muslim elite immediatley after a battle when those women apparently suddenly madly fell in love with the peaceful conqueror.

Folks, please explore the Sufi historians themselves. BD was not an exception as far as we know.

As for hold of Islamist ulema in BD - the rural areas and distant interior or the "char"s (newly risen river islands) are a different world from urban or semi-urban areas. The typical shariati violences - especially violent when it comes to Hudood or so-called sexual-offences [for which apparently justice cannot wait for final judgment at Qyamat and the field of Hashon but has to be meted out immediately by humans] are still being meted out in the deep interior. It is only for land/property disputes that the power elite of rural power structures would resort to state courts - but for "sexual offences" it is sharia, and ulema take the ring-side seat in the deliberations.

[RamaT]

Thanks again Akalam ji, I was referring to BD in itself.. when traditional communities meet western values I have noted the outcome is a rainbow, with the whole spectrum represented. It saddens me that true freedom is not in BD yet.. but there is a definite step, let us hope BD society is strong and just enough to turn that step into a true journey and will not flip its poles with the next election.

Brihaspati ji, I was not asking to justify the past or hold one group over the other for their previous deeds, I am well aware of the carrot and stick as were those entering India. I was asking to get a feeling for the current dynamic, Islam definitely has its camps and they are shaped by and shaping many narratives. If one were cynical, you could argue that BD is not being 'moderate' for any reason other than realpolitik as they are stuck between a rising sea and a rising military.

The thing is, narratives have power.. and if say, in 10 years a belligerent Pakistan is as much a mess as it is now and a moderate and open BD were prosperous it would have a powerful effect.. especially in light of '71. Imagine the faces of the Paki elite if their per capita is stuck at $3K and BD's rises to $6K, heads would surely roll.

Brick by brick, the future takes shape.

[D Roy]

Yeah I agree with brihaspati here.

Sufi tantriks have often been the spearhead of muslim colonial victories. Indeed in Northern Bangladesh there are so many stories of xyz Sufi pir spearheading a magically charged Islamic army putting to flight a much bigger hindu army.

Moreover in the late 1880s the percentage of hindus in east bengal was close 50 percent. But now its 10 from 28 per cent at the time of partition. I don't see Islamism in BD as any less hardcore and given to ethnic cleansing then elsewhere. Lower birth rates did in hindus in the 1880-1930 timeframe. Once it became 65-35 the islamists did the rest.

The truth is BD islamists f***ed Calcutta's economic prospects in the last 50 years by forcing millions of people to emigrate to the city in successive waves.

And then as if that was not enough now even BD abduls land up there. There is a reason why the Commies took hold in West bengal. Their politics till the late eighties very much centred around BD refugees. Post 90 it became about BD illegals.

As long as BDs and Pakis keep denying their mother they will never progress.

[RamaT]

You seem to be missing my point, I'm not arguing the past or the way that Sufis may or may not have cloaked their militant aims within a peaceful song.
I'm willing to agree to every point you've made about past behavior, having said that there is something different happening in BD currently.. on two fronts, and both count as 'progress'.

The fronts are I'm referring to are economic and societal fabric.. the fact that the word 'Secular' is even being uttered by the highest court and leading politicians in BD shows societal change to be self evident. Whether it will be a large change or a hollow one and in name only remains to be seen, but whatever it may be it's 1000 times better than what was prevalent in BD between 2001-2006. With regards to economic progress see the link below for the past 10 - 12 years, BD is on a steady path to growth in an inclusive economy with schemes like Grameen Bank/Energy/etc as opposed to the Pakis which are an uneven basketcase due to the fact that one group is imposing their wills on others both economically and socially.

http://www.google.com/publicdata/explor ... l=en&dl=en

By making blanket declarative statements like the one below, 'will never progress' while ignoring facts does nothing to help India and its long-term goals of peace and prosperity.. in fact, these type of false assumptions can lead to large blunders which can take decades to unwind. BD is the good step-child, by treating it well India can win more long term in BD and Pakistan than by ignoring it.. and then there's the concern of Chinese influence, so having boots on the ground in a friendly fashion only becomes that more urgent.

A realistic accounting is the only way to move forward without blunders.

Yeah I agree with brihaspati here.
<snip>
As long as BDs and Pakis keep denying their mother they will never progress.

[abhishek_sharma]

Mamata gets veto power in foreign policy?

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 447856.cms

[krisna]

ADB Approves $100 Mln For India-Bangladesh Power Project

The Asian Development Bank on Tuesday approved a $100 million loan for a cross-border power link project between India and Bangladesh, which is expected to spur energy trade in the South Asia.

As a result of the Bangladesh-India Electrical Grid Interconnection Project, around 500 megawatts of power is expected to be transferred to Bangladesh by 2012.
The fund will be used to build a 40-kilometer 400-kilovolt transmission line, along with a high voltage direct current substation and connecting loop, linking the western electrical grid of Bangladesh with India's eastern grid.

[brihaspati]

Thanks again Akalam ji, I was referring to BD in itself.. when traditional communities meet western values I have noted the outcome is a rainbow, with the whole spectrum represented. It saddens me that true freedom is not in BD yet.. but there is a definite step, let us hope BD society is strong and just enough to turn that step into a true journey and will not flip its poles with the next election.

Brihaspati ji, I was not asking to justify the past or hold one group over the other for their previous deeds, I am well aware of the carrot and stick as were those entering India. I was asking to get a feeling for the current dynamic, Islam definitely has its camps and they are shaped by and shaping many narratives. If one were cynical, you could argue that BD is not being 'moderate' for any reason other than realpolitik as they are stuck between a rising sea and a rising military.

The thing is, narratives have power.. and if say, in 10 years a belligerent Pakistan is as much a mess as it is now and a moderate and open BD were prosperous it would have a powerful effect.. especially in light of '71. Imagine the faces of the Paki elite if their per capita is stuck at $3K and BD's rises to $6K, heads would surely roll.

Brick by brick, the future takes shape.

I am just being cautious. There is not a single Islam majority country that has showed positive correlation of secularism with prosperity. In fact there seems to be a negative correlation, or perhaps independence from the prosperity angle. Indonesia, Malaysia prospered - so did Islamism. Turkey prospered rapidly - so did its Islamists in influence.

This or that court interpretation that suddenly appears geared towards "pro-secular" judgments should not yet be seen as any fundamental change of mindset. The overwhelming seat majority in the parliament of the apparently pro-secular grouping hides fact that the opposite camp did not do that badly in vote share.

The attitudes towards non-Muslims, concerns about "enemy-property", the low-intensity hostility that targets property and women of the non-muslim, and the continued state involvement and sponsorship of the Ulema networks - as yet unmeasurable penetration and mutual sympathies within the "armed" sections - all this is not yet clear. Mere prosperity need not change attitudes on any of this, as well as an innate construction of Bharat as Hindu and therefore alien and hostile and forever to be treated with suspicion - irrespective of what Bharat does on ground. Propsperity will only strengthen the hand sof those who would not even mind turning the country into a PLA camp and not see it as loss of sovereignty because PLA will be seen as anti-India and therefore anti-Hindu.

Any normalization of relations with India is seen as alarming since it raises the [baseless and completely imaginary given the bending over backwards attitudes of GOI's with respect to Islamist demands] imagined prospect of having to return land and property occupied by hook or crook from "Hindus", loss of power by the "Ulema", etc.

You may benefit from studying the Islamic Shasanatantra (Islamic Rule) movement and group in BD. It is a small group but its political game steps will be most revealing to understand the distribution of strategic allegiances of the larger Islamist network.

[Stan_Savljevic]

India, Bangladesh align rail link in Tripura
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 519744.cms
http://telegraphindia.com/1100908/jsp/n ... 907781.jsp

[abhishek_sharma]

Two epoch-making verdicts
Haroon Habib

http://www.hindu.com/2010/09/10/stories ... 451400.htm

[Haresh]

FRom Fox news

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2010/09/ ... m/#content

[RamaT]

I am just being cautious. There is not a single Islam majority country that has showed positive correlation of secularism with prosperity. In fact there seems to be a negative correlation, or perhaps independence from the prosperity angle. Indonesia, Malaysia prospered - so did Islamism. Turkey prospered rapidly - so did its Islamists in influence.

This or that court interpretation that suddenly appears geared towards "pro-secular" judgments should not yet be seen as any fundamental change of mindset. The overwhelming seat majority in the
parliament of the apparently pro-secular grouping hides fact that the opposite camp did not do that badly in vote share.

As am I, just noting signs of progress.. nothing more. Rome was not built in a day as they say.. and there are still numerous reasons to doubt it, however things may progress.. to argue the changes being discussed are detrimental is cynical at best.

The attitudes towards non-Muslims, concerns about "enemy-property", the low-intensity hostility that targets property and women of the non-muslim, and the continued state involvement and sponsorship of the Ulema networks - as yet unmeasurable penetration and mutual sympathies within the "armed" sections - all this is not yet clear. Mere prosperity need not change attitudes on any of this, as well as an innate construction of Bharat as Hindu and therefore alien and hostile and forever to be treated with suspicion - irrespective of what Bharat does on ground. Propsperity will only strengthen the hand sof those who would not even mind turning the country into a PLA camp and not see it as loss of sovereignty because PLA will be seen as anti-India and therefore anti-Hindu.

Agreed that targetting of Hindu's/Buddhists/etc. must be taken to account. To do this the BD society needs an equal framework.. and the SC's judgement has opened the door to that. Once greater links are built with BD then NGO's and other Hindu organizations can be more open to serve the community and be their voice. With power/railways/etc, money will also flow.. and with it the ability to influence their elections and society. I, for one would love for major Indian newspapers to open bureau's there and highlight the issues you point out and start a civil discourse.

Any normalization of relations with India is seen as alarming since it raises the [baseless and completely imaginary given the bending over backwards attitudes of GOI's with respect to Islamist demands] imagined prospect of having to return land and property occupied by hook or crook from "Hindus", loss of power by the "Ulema", etc.

You may benefit from studying the Islamic Shasanatantra (Islamic Rule) movement and group in BD. It is a small group but its political game steps will be most revealing to understand the distribution of strategic allegiances of the larger Islamist network.

I am aware of the fractious nature of the BD society.. which is a reason for greater Indian involvement and support. If the average BD life gets better under Awami League then they are more likely to retain power.. and this is a hugely important factor for India, this secularization ball has just started rolling and needs to be helped along for a while.

The land issues are real and must be resolved, however they are not large such as PoK.. an open inclusive process with lots of fanfare and embraces when the final details are agreed upon between BD and India is a crucial PR move. We are there for the long run and must build a rapport and turn the arc of BD society towards Indic values.. this will not be hard over time, but needs to get over the front-loaded problems. The alternative as witnessed on our NW frontier is a cautionary tale.

[Rupesh]

China eyes rail link to Chittagong

NEW DELHI: The Chinese 'string of pearls' could well choke India one day if it's not careful. After strategic projects in Myanmar, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, China is moving closer to establishing a direct rail-road link to Bangladesh's port city of Chittagong as well as in helping construct the Sonadia deep-sea port at Cox's Bazaar.

China-watchers in the Indian security establishment say there has been "a flurry of activity" between Beijing and Dhaka on the two projects over the last couple of months.

Late last month, for instance, China's Yunnan province governor Qin Guangrong met Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina to promise all support for the proposed 111-km-long road-rail link between the two countries, with Beijing keen to sew up the agreement with Dhaka as soon as possible.

The project envisages connecting Chittagong with Yunnan province, via Myanmar, with the link distance measuring a mere 111 km. China has already roped in Myanmar for the tri-lateral project, which will help reduce its huge dependence on the global trade route through the Malacca Strait.

"China already has transit facilities through the Chittagong port, apart from commercial interests. A strong Chinese presence in Chittagong is bound to have security implications for India. It is, after all, our strategic backyard," said a senior official.

[chetak]

China eyes rail link to Chittagong

NEW DELHI: The Chinese 'string of pearls' could well choke India one day if it's not careful. After strategic projects in Myanmar, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, China is moving closer to establishing a direct rail-road link to Bangladesh's port city of Chittagong as well as in helping construct the Sonadia deep-sea port at Cox's Bazaar.

Wherever the pandas have built or helped to build the port, the facilities have also been customised to suit the PLA Navy.

That way they have standardised infrastructure, repair facilities and heavy lift gear.

[Karan Dixit]

I sincerely prey that the Bangladesh Supreme court (SC) is not stopped in its track by a Military led Coup. Also, that this government is allowed to complete the term of parliament.

As the direction that country is moving in, a lot of vested interests will be effected by the SC and the Govt.

The Supreme Court has complete backing of military. Remember, all this reform started with a mini military coup not too long ago.

[svinayak]

http://www.india-defence.com/reports-4559
Strategic region and disaster relief

At the closing ceremony Brig. Gen. Michael Keltz, the Pacific Air Forces director of operations, plans and programs, called Cope South 10 the experience of a lifetime for those who participated.

"The bottom line is the relationship we have with Bangladesh is very important," he said. "You are in a very strategic region of the world. The better we can work together and the more we understand each other, the better we can work humanitarian affairs and disaster relief."

[A_Gupta]

http://news.in.msn.com/international/ar ... id=4424836

Top BNP leader may be arrested for murder of Hindus in 1971

Dhaka, Sep 26 (PTI) A top leader of Bangladesh''s main opposition BNP may be arrested for alleged role in the murder of members of the minority Hindu community during the 1971 ''Liberation war''.

On March 25, the Awami League-led government set up a special tribunal for the trial of "war criminals" accused of genocide and those who sided with the Pakistani military during the ''Liberation War''.

The prosecution may approach the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) seeking an arrested warrant against Salauddin Qauder Chowdhury, the standing committee member of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) for his alleged role in targeting members of the minority community in the port city of Chittagong during the Liberation war.

"We got information against Salauddin Qauder Chowdhury, the BNP standing committee member, and Jamaat-e-Islami leader Mir Kashem Ali as well as few other people in course of our two-day inquiry in Chittagong," said Zead-Al-Malum, a prosecutor of the tribunal.

[Pratyush]

Finaly after all this time the BD people can look into the eves of the mass murderes and tell the world that this man killed my father / mother / son/ Daughter.

The wound can now begin to heal.

[D Roy]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... TopOpinion

Things may be looking up for BD.

[vic]

India to get access to landlocked N-E states through Bangladesh

"When we are thinking about transforming Bangladesh as a regional hub and when the entire region will be brought under the connectivity, India will have access to its northeastern states," she said, adding "unfettered movement of people and goods will be taking place."

One needs to wonder whether the costs are worth it. Do not forget that awami league and BNP received almost equal votes in the last election. 50% of that country are still unfavourable of india.

60/40 not 50/50

[A_Gupta]

http://newsblaze.com/story/201010030704 ... story.html

There is a two-fold terrorism threat staring at Bangladesh. One is homegrown. The other is trans-national.....

Big brothers of terror world active in Bangladesh are Al Haramain (Bangladesh Branch), Global Relief Foundation (GRF), Jamiat-ul- Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami (HUJI). It is these groups that pose a real threat to Bangladesh. Because they are into money laundering and have made Dhaka the transit centre for their money, drug, and human trafficking operations
...
...
...
Bangladesh's vulnerability to terror finance comes mostly from foreign remittances sent in the name of charities, and also from the use of cash couriers, which is unique to the country. Most non-government organisations (NGOs) style themselves as non-profit organisations (NPO). The sector is home to registered societies, associations, clubs, companies limited by guarantee and foundation, and the like. Their number is put at 60,000 plus.

The Hasina government has no overall strategy for the sector. Supervision is quite inadequate. And, compliance with registration norms and financial reporting is very low. What is more, according to the FATF report, Bangladesh lacks the capacity to investigate and prosecute money laundering offences, and effectively freeze, seize or confiscate proceeds of crime. Well, this is cause for concern. It calls for calibrated action. Yes, without much delay.

[Ameet]

India to export 500,000 tonnes of foodgrain to Bangladesh soon
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/201 ... 100300.htm

India to supply power to Bangladesh from 2012
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/new ... 800230.cms

India has agreed to supply 250 MW electricity from its grid to the power-starved nation.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the two parties here in August for setting up two 1,320 MW each power projects.

[brihaspati]

Electoral support for AL should not be interpreted as unadulterated support for India. AL is a kind of mirror image for INC, that uses minorities for overall political aims - in almost exact parallel. Except that there may be a bit more of covert ideological hatred for the "minority" than evident in actions of the INC [explicit measures to protect minority exclusivity are much less evident in AL]. It does not mean any great inherent political fondness for India. It might have accommodated more minority community "leaders" at visible range, but then again - that did not prevent looting, raping, destruction of temples, and abduction of women [well it went down a bit under the few AL regimes in power - and promptly came back to "normal" rates when AL was not in power - but the baseline "rates" for atrocities and attrition on minorities will hardly ever be matched in India].

The most prominent early leader of AL (there were earlier founders) and founding father of BD - was a close associate and follower of Suhrawardy, the infamous ML leader whose role in the instigation of Calcutta riots and using all resources to protect only the muslims using his provincial powers - has now more or less been clearly established. It is difficult to imagine that he was not aware of the ML plans for Calcutta and other parts of Bengal. The AL, under Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, realized quickly that to secure the main objective of Bengal Muslims - which was only partly realized as a first step through the Partition - would not be complete until "Muslim Bengal" became free of "Muslim Punjab". This was about land and its exploitation rights.

At this time the greater educational ideological penetration of "Hindu Bengal" into "Muslim Bengal" provided both the obstacle as well as opportunity. The ideological "contamination" provided radical elements - especially the leftists who were a key initiator of militancy into the East Pak politics. This leftist militancy - especially among the students and youth provided the nucleus of the later militant "indepndence" movement. One portion of the AL leadership realized that they needed to use "Bengali nationalism" based on language, the leftist militancy in the youth and student, and the "minorities" card for gaining political and military support from India - for the second stage of the objective - complete separation from Pakjab.

That this was simply a matter of expediency and tactical calculation - and not any basic ideological commitment is amply made clear in the various gestures that SMR was forced to make even in the very early days to show that he will not toe Indian lines, that he would firmly retain Islamist connection through the OIC, and other state measures to protect the theological structures. That the regime and AL factions were staunchly Islamist and anti-India was amply shown in the coup under Khondokar Mushtaq, the seizure by Zia, and convenient elimination of the "four national leaders" and Col. Taher. SMR, before his assassination had himself overseen the liquidation of the very leftists he had used in the "liberation struggle" (the JSD). Enemy property act was never repealed (only recently being dismantled) under the early ML and then succeeding military or BNP regimes - and was the legal state cover extended to looting of Hindu property by Islamics.

India or no-India - the basic thrust is about obtaining land and natural resources. There is a section of the educated and intelligentsia who will be covert "pro-India" culturally. But this may not be a general reflection of the populations. If Islam helps in obtaining land and women and property of the non-Muslim or at the cost of India - and such an Islam demands going against India in return - then there will be no problem in the large majority turning overtly anti-India. 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".