[chottala.com] Khaleda Zia's ensuing visit to India- what should be the Agenda?

Khaleda Zia's ensuing visit to India- what should be the Agenda?

Major Faruk Ahmed (Retd)

Visiting a neighbouring country by the opposition alliance leader naturally draws attention of many specially when the destination country is a hegemonic country like India.

International relation between two countries is determined by the regimes in power of those countries. Opposion party may have issues of concern but that cannot allow the destination country's govt to enter into any treaty with the opposition party leader of any country. If that is the case, such visit may not be viewed as solution to the existing bilateral problems/issues between Bangladesh and India. In spite of all these, such visit may help in understanding each other's viewpoint.

Ties between Awami League and India is known to all.  Present Hasina govt is fulfilling all the desires  of India. As such, Delli's south block and intellectuals suggest Indian govt to do everything to maintain Hasina regime in Dhaka.
 
India's desires and wants from Bangladesh:
   
a. Use of Bangladesh territory as corridor.
b. Using Bangladesh to suppress the movement of Indian NE states.
c. Bangladesh to serve as India's economic colony.
d. Maintaining chosen party in power of Bangladesh to serve India's interests.
e. Control foreign policy of Bangladesh.
f. Domination on Bangladesh Army.
g. Domination on Bangladesh intelligence agencies.
h. Control and domination on border.
i. Control water flow of all international rivers entering Bangladesh.
j. Maintaining a loyal intellectual group in Dhaka and abroad.
k. Maintaining armed insurgency in CHTs (Chittagong Hill Tracts) of Bangladesh.
l. Cultural domination on Bangladesh.
m. Divert the route of Asian High Way as follows: 'India-Bangladesh-Indian NE states' instead of 'India-Bangladesh-Mayanmar'.
n. Occupying bordering lands and claiming sea areas limiting maritime boundary of Bangladesh.
o. Breaking Bangladeshi Nation's will to protect national independence, security and sovereignty.
p. Reducing Bangladesh to the status of Bhutan and making it unviable to survive and ultimately leading to Sikimization.

Examples of India's hostile behaviour against Bangladesh
   
a. India has hijacked the victory of newborn Bangladesh's Independence War.
b. India has taken away assets of Bangladesh.
c. India is depriving Bangladesh from due share of 54 international river waters.
d. India has instigated, trained, armed, and sheltered Chakma terrorists named Shanti Bahini of CHTs and allowed Indian soil to be used against Bangladesh.
e. India has raided on Padua BDR BOP (Border Observation Post) of Bangladesh.
f. India put barriers on BD's export and maintains a trade gap of 4.2 billion USD.
g. India allows smuggle of drugs and illegal arms through the border.
h. Indian BSF has killed more than 1000 Bangladeshi citizens at border areas.
i. India is sheltering separatist organization- Bangabhumi Andolon.
j. India is conducting hostile propaganda against Bangladesh.
k. India has occupied Talpotti Island of Bangladesh.
l. India has plotted assassination of Bangladhesh's President - Ziaur Rahman.
   
Based on above,  Zia's visiting India as a guest and discussing above thorny issues where host India is the perpetrator of all above anti-BD actions, is naturally difficult and impossible. 

Issues for agenda

Teesta water share, border killings, trade gap etc will certainly remain in the agenda. Following aspects also crucially important to be discussed and conveyed:

a. Anti-democratic actions, oppression on opposition and suppression on media,
b. Human Rights violations by crossfire, disappearances, violence of Awami Chatro League cadres.
c. Massive corruption by govt in share market, Padma Bridge, Quick Rental power, banks.
d.  Nation's disapproval to giving corridor to India against our economic interest, security and sovereignty.
e.  Asian Highway has to be through India-BD-Myanmar.
f.  BD must be allowed to export that amount of products which is equal to the cost of imported goods from India.
g.  India's assistance to a particular political party in BD is not liked by BD people who consider it as external intervention to our politics.
h.  India's unfriendly acts are liable for anti- Indian sentiment among BD people which must be mend.
i. Our Tin Bigha corridor to be handed over against Berubari enclave which BD already handed over.
j. Due water share from Farakka and abandonment of Tipaimukh Dam project. 
k. Awami govt's failure in protecting the minorities, involvement of local Awami leaders in Ramu violence against Buddists and govt's policy of gaining western support by selling fear of Muslim's extremism in Bangladesh.
l. Assurance from  India to totally abandon proxi war policy in CHTs and not allow her territory to be used against Bangladesh by any armed outfit.
m. India to abandon our Talpotti Island and accept BD's claim regarding maritime boundary.

We look forward to see that Bangladesh and India will live together respecting each other's sovereignty and any treaty between these two countries must be based on equality, mutual respect and interests.

Major Faruk Ahmed (Retd)
Email: farukbd5@yahoo.com
Date: 24 October 2012

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