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| 38 year old Prabhat Sinha, from Assam, carries a load of coal weighing 60kg's, supported by a head-strap, as he ascends the staircase of a coal mine on April 16, 2011 near the village of Khliehriat, in the district of Jaintia Hills, India.- Getty Images |
(June 11, Dhaka, Sri Lanka Guardian) The visit of Indian foreign secretary Nirupama Rao has shown a light that Bangladesh and India will be able to settle their long unsettled issues. Foreign secretary of India said that, some issues have settled already but rest of the issues will resolve during the visit of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Shing. Indian foreign secretary did not disclose the specific date of visit of Indian Prime Minister to Bangladesh. She indicates that, it will be at the end of this year. The officials of the two countries are waiting with a hope that, Teesta river water sharing trite will sign at the time of Manmohan visit. Teesta is a common river of India and Bangladesh. It enters in to Bangladesh from India through the northern part of Bangladesh. Many small rivers and cultivation of crops of a vast agricultural land of Bangladesh depend on this river’s water. India has blocked the water of the Teesta River and in the summer, they withdraw the water of this river. Therefore, some connected small rivers to Teesta of Bangladesh are going to die. Besides that, crops cultivating of a vast area of Bangladesh depends on the water of Teesta. Therefore, the sharing of water of Teesta River is very much necessary for Bangladesh. India and Bangladesh have been in talks about the Teesta water last two decades but the two neighbours couldn’t reach a goal. Even then before the visit of Indian Foreign secretary the technical committee of India and Bangladesh meet in Delhi in same week. The talks continued two days but could not reach a common point. Bangladesh wants the sharing of water on 50: 50 bases while India has proposed for 45:55. Bangladesh badly needs the Teesta water especially from December to march in the dry season of Bangladesh. At times in dry season, flow of water of Teesta goes down 1,000 cusec from 5000 thousand cusec due to withdrawal of water by India. That is way, it is necessary for Bangladesh and India to reach a reasonable point to resolve the Teesta water sharing. India has to realize the reality. Most of the members of the technical committee of India realize the reality but they cannot take decision on the basis of reality. So every meeting of last two decades failed ultimately. The experts of two neighbours understand, it needs a political decision. This time people of Bangladesh hope that, the Indian Prime will take a reasonable political decision because Teesta is a common river; it is not a river of India. Bangladesh is not begging the water of Teesta; it is legal share of Bangladesh. If Indian Prime Minister can understand it and is able to take a right decision, it will help build a good relation between Bangladesh and India. A long pending problem will solve.
The relation of Bangladesh and India is well but this Teesta river water sharing issue is a pain of this good relation. Prime Minister of Bangladesh visited to India in January 2010.It was a successful visit. Prime Minister of Bangladesh and India signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU). In that MoU, the two leaders came to close in many issues. India agreed that they would sell 250-mega watt electricity to Bangladesh. Bangladesh and India are preparing the electricity line to supply electricity from India to Bangladesh now. The two countries agreed that, Bangladesh would give a river port (Asuganj) facility to India. Bangladesh has given the facility already and two countries are working to develop the river port and its link railway lines. In the MoU, two countries agreed that, Nepal and Bhutan will use Bangladesh seaports and India will give the transit facility to Nepal and Bhutan. Foreign secretary of India told in Dhaka that Nepal and Bhutan are getting some transit facility already and India will give the full transit facility to these two countries. There is another big issue in Bangladesh and India. It is transit facility for India. India wants transit facility to Bangladesh for eastern part of their country. Eastern part of the India is a block land like Nepal and Bhutan. Therefore, in this part of India needs roads and ports facilities. Bangladesh already agreed to give it and Bangladesh is working on it. Bangladesh wants, according to international rule Bangladesh will give the transit facilities to India. Besides that, Bangladesh will get two times benefit from transit facilities. Bangladesh will get the fees of transit and will get the market of the eastern part of the India. In the mean time, finance minister of Bangladesh has told in an interview with the Time of Assam that, if the eastern part of India gets transit facility from Bangladesh then Bangladesh can set up hydro power plant with the joint collaboration. Eastern part of India’s state Assam has more hydro power. In fact, two countries has come to close in transit issues because both have realized their benefits. That is why; it can be said that, Indian Prime Minister’s visit will be a successful visit if India can show their broadness.
India is a big neighbour of Bangladesh; its economy is vast but as a small neighbour Bangladesh did a lot for India. Having come to power, the present government of Bangladesh has deported all the Indian militants from Bangladesh territory. It is a great job for the socio-economy of this region because any type of insurgency is always unhealthy for any type of economy. So, to build up a healthy socio economy you must have to destroy any type of militancy. Over the last two years, Bangladesh did it for India. That is why now the ball is in Indian court. India has to show their performance now. They have to do their best for Bangladesh. If India misses this train, Bangladesh will be loser but India cannot be gainer either.
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