Projects with Indian aid ‘will benefit us more’ / Dipu Moni’s claim

Monday, 09 August 2010, The independent

DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT

Foreign minister Dr Dipu Moni said yesterday that if someone analysed the Dhaka-New Delhi joint communiqué issued during the visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India in January they would find that issues of Bangladesh interests were addressed and going to be implemented more than those of India. She was addressing a press conference yesterday at the ministry of foreign affairs on the just concluded visit of the India's finance minister Pranab Mukherjee.
However, despite repeated questions from reporters she did not cite any acceptable example in support of her claim except mentioning the next date of the joint boundary group meeting to resolve the border dispute between the two nations.
She said the Bangladesh-India Joint Border Working Group would meet in September to address the issues of demarcation of 6.5 km border and exchange of enclaves and lands in adverse possession in a package deal.
The Foreign Minister hoped that an interim agreement on the sharing of waters of the Teesta River would be concluded next year.
"We will be holding two or three more meetings of the JRC in future. Hopefully, we will be in a position to sign an interim deal relating to the Teesta's water sharing," she added.
Replying to question the foreign minister disclosed that India would get access to its landlocked seven northeastern states through Bangladesh with the construction of road and railway connectivity with the US$ one billion Indian credit, which she termed as a 'concessional loan'.
"When we are thinking about transforming Bangladesh as a regional hub and when the entire region will be brought under connectivity, India will have access to its northeastern states," she said, adding "unfettered movement of people and goods will be taking place … Bangladesh had been isolated for long."
Replying to another question the Foreign Minister said not only trucks from Nepal would enter into Banglabandh in Bangladesh, Bangladeshi trucks would also have access to Nepal and Bhutan through India.
She also said Bangladesh would take the initiative as Nepal and Bhutan could use Mongla and Chittagong ports along with India.
"This will be done by exchange of letters and no protocol is required to be signed for this," she added.
In response to a question Moni said the Indian government would give the loan through Exim Bank and the Bangladesh government would fix its priority projects for implementation with the loan.
Dipu Moni disagreed when a correspondent said the projects to be implemented were identified not by the Bangladesh government alone but by both the governments of Bangladesh and India.
When pointed to Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee' statement that the projects were identified by the two governments, Dipu Moni pleaded her ignorance about Pranab's statement.
She was asked whether 14 selected projects, to be implemented with the Indian loan, were intended to serve the purpose of connecting the seven sisters with the western part, the Foreign Minister said one billion dollar Indian credit was taken for Bangladesh's interests. India will too get the benefit.
She said that if connectivity was in place, all would get the benefit. It would be a win-win situation.
The foreign minister criticised the opposition BNP for opposing the one billion loan deal with the Indian bank saying it was completely propaganda to malign the government. "When they are in power, they appease India and when in opposition, they oppose- all are now aware of their tactics."
Dipu Moni advised that one must get out of the negative thinking that India would be benefited if roads and ports are developed. She said if rail communications are improved, Bangladesh will get the benefit as well as India.
Among others, Foreign Secretary Mijarul Quayes and Director General SAARC and South Asia Sufiur Rahman were present at the briefing.