This could have been just another story of an impoverished girl pushed into the flesh trade by a scheming relative, until it turned into an international rescue operation involving special police teams from two countries.

The victim, who is now on her way home by the Padma river in Bangladesh, may not be aware of the effort put in by her government and Mumbai Police to have her rescued, but she will have to thank her Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who came to know about her plight through one of her employees, who happened to be the victim’s relative and decided to reach out to her.

As of now, having been sold off to two brothels in two different cities in just a month’s time, she will only be counting the hours before she is reunited with her family.

A 20-year-old girl from Bangladesh was brought to India by her relative identified as Mustav on the pretext of securing a job. No sooner did they cross the border, Mustav allegedly sold her off to an agent called Kobi, who brought her to a brothel in Surat on May 1.

The girl lived there for a month till she managed to get in touch with Mustav again and pleaded with him to get her out of the hell hole. Mustav apologised and promised to take her home, but he had other plans.

He did come down to Surat and got her out of the brothel, but only to bring her to Mumbai and sell her off again to a certain Reena Ganguly in Kamathipura for Rs 25,000. Realising that there was no way she could escape her fate, the girl finally joined the flesh trade.

ACP Feroz Patel of Social Service branch said, “The girl did not know any Hindi and could not ask for help from anyone around her.

Kamathipura girl set to go home With a lot of effort she picked up a smattering of the language from her clients and other prostitutes and began communicating.”

It was one of her clients, whose name cannot be revealed, who sympathised with her and seven days ago arranged for a SIM card so that the victim could talk to her family back home in Bangladesh. Luckily for her, one of her relatives works with the PM’s office in Dhaka, and sought her help to rescue her from Kamathipura.

Additional Commissioner (Crime) Deven Bharti, who led the rescue mission said that the Bangladeshi government had sent a request through the Interpol.

“After Interpol got in touch with us the PM’s request, we formed a special team to rescue the girl.”

This special team of the Social Service Branch under the stewardship of Patel and crime branch Unit II, Nishikant Patil, Bhashkar Kadam, Hridinath Mishra and Subhash Mali began combing Kamathipura.

“We were informed that a few new girls had been introduced in some of the brothels. We branched out and mingled with the crowd there and finally on Wednesday managed to trace the 20-year-old and four others who were brought along with her,” said an officer from the Mumbai crime branch.

The police have arrested Mausami Raju Shaikh the manager of the brothel while brothel madam Ganguli has fled to Kolkata and has been named absconding.

“This was part of an international trafficking racket. We have booked the accused under the acts of PITA (Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act) and have handed over them to DB Marg police station, which is investigating the matter,” said Patel.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh government has been informed of the happy developments, and arrangements are being made to take the girl home, said the police.

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Report prepared by Vinay Dalvi and Nazia Sayed and first published at Mumbai Mirror.

• The Water sharing issues were left to the mercy of India.
• Excitements about Import of 250 MW Power from India is laughable
• Ignorance about Tipai Mukh Dam is inexcusable.
• Neglect of Poet Nazrul has frustrated the people.
• Opposition has no way but to go for movement.

It must be mentioned upfront here that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed visited India from the 14th to the 17th January, 2010. During her visit some historic groundbreaking agreements were signed and two Minutes of Understanding were initialled. After the epic summit meeting between the heads of the governments of the two countries a 50-point joint communiqué was published which stated that all issues of bilateral importance came up for discussion and meeting of minds were reached to resolve all these through mutual discussions based on good friendly neighbourly relations. PM Hasina already invited opposition to return to parliament and voice their approvals or disapprovals on anything on the floor of the parliament. Soon after returning from the trip, she already has explained to our people the salient features of agreements and MOUs, as well as issues included in the communiqué.

In 2008 December election, Bangladeshi people have provided land slide majority to PM Hasina-led Mahajote government to serve the nation for five years. Our people have also elected some 30 opposition MPs to represent some sections of the people in the parliament. Unfortunately, under some silly pretexts, the opposition has abstained from attending the parliament after few days of the first session, although they don’t mind enjoying all the facilities and benefits of being parliamentarians at tax payer’s money. This is really sickening! It’s a shameful display of abusing people’s trust for which they were elected.

Mrs. Khaleda Zia stated that people of Bangladesh do not accept the communiqué which in her opinion has compromised our national interest. According to her, the PM has given everything generously to India through this communiqué; the PM has sold the country to India according to Khaleda. We like to ask Mrs. Khaleda: what percentage of people does she represent? What is her locus standee in the present parliament?

While various political parties, traders, business leaders, economic analysts and columnists have welcomed the significant achievement of PM Hasina from this recently concluded trip, seemingly only madam Khaleda and her associates are complaining. As a minority leader, representing only 10% of elected reps in the parliament, she has no right to say that our nation has not accepted the communiqué. She also failed to explain her reason for abstaining from the parliament. She also perhaps does not understand the difference between communiqué, agreement and MOU. A country is not a tradable commodity. She made herself a laughing stock with such silly accusations time and again that our country has been sold to India. She must be asked to explain clearly what she really means by this. She must produce credible evidence of selling of Bangladesh to India.

When she was honourable guest of the Pakistan occupation force in 1971 her husband joined Awami League-led Bangladesh liberation war to liberate our country and took shelter in India, which gave generous and spontaneous support in the liberation war. How can PM Hasina ever think of compromising with country’s interest when her own father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was the very dreamer, architect and the father of this nation? PM Hasina lost most of her near and dear ones on the fateful hours of the 15th August, 1975 when conspirators carried out gruesome murders. It was madam Khaleda and her husband who sheltered those self-confessed killers and rewarded them in many ways. She also enjoys parleys with noted war criminals and hobnobs with them. Her only asset in politics is drum-beating of anti Indian slogans. Did not she state earlier after CHT treaty that a part of Bangladesh extending from Chittagong to Feni will go to India after that treaty? Has that allegation ever happened? What is the ground reality? Today, peace prevails in Chittagong Hill Tracts. We can expect that after the present agreement with India on cross-border terrorism, i.e., commitment not to entertain insurgency of any country in other’s soil, peace will prevail further strengthening the entire region. Mrs. Khaleda’s statement is not only out of context it is outrageous and makes her a laughing stock to world communities.

Mrs. Khaleda talked about Teesta Water sharing agreement. She told that our nation was expecting a resolution of Teesta water issue during PM’s visit. According to her, the PM Hasina left it completely at the mercy of India. We wonder what makes her say that! India and Bangladesh in recent senior official-level meetings have made significant progress on reaching an agreement. Not only Teesta talks are ongoing to resolve water sharing issues of all common rivers flowing from India into Bangladesh, the JRC meeting will be held in February 2010. May we ask: how many JRC meetings were held over the last 5 years of BNP-Jamat rule? Did Khaleda ever raise water sharing issues with India at all? What prevented her to do so? She forgot to raise this issue with India when she was on a state visist to India. So our nation may like to ask her: why she surrenders to India completely when in power and only becomes noisy about issues with India when thrown out of power? Is not it: doing politics for the sake of politics?

Mrs. Khaleda said that our nation must not be elated about trading of 250MW power from India which according to her will be available after 3 years. According to her, this power will not be enough to meet even the demand of a major district. Can we ask ex-PM how much power her government added during her 5-year rule from 2001 to 2006? Her only achievement was an 80MW under-performing Tongi Power plant, while during her time the power demand increased to about 2000MW. When her government took over in 2001 there was no power or energy crisis in Bangladesh. Several power plant-contract processing were in advanced stages. And yet, her government cancelled all those and could not ink even a single new contract during her tenure in office. Can Mrs. Khaleda explain why a contract for 450MW PDB- Summit JV plant at Sirajgonj could not get final approval after it was approved by the purchase committee? There are allegations of ill-gotten money laundering from the developer of the lone power plant of her time against her son and BNP senior Vice Chairman Tareq and his friend Mamun. Will Mrs. Khaleda explain why people talk so much ill about the Khamba scandal? Talk about fleecing of national wealth! She should be ashamed before opening her big mouth!

The current MOU to import 250MW power is the stepping stone to set up regional power grid. Once the grids are connected it will create opportunity of trading any amount of power amongst India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. Madam Khaleda must tell her dumb advisors to shut up for putting those illogical statements — about power trading in North and South America, East and West Europe, and in South East Asia — into her mouth. Through such ill-informed and ill-intended comments she has made a fool of herself.

We appreciate Mrs. Khleda’s anxiousness about the Tipai Mukh Dam (TMD)? But does she know what it is? Did she do anything about it during her tenure? It’s not PM Hasina, but it is madam Khaleda who appears to be ignorant about it. In contrast, during her first year in office, PM Hasina has taken significant initiatives about resolving this vital matter. She discussed with Indian PM several times about it whenever they met in international engagements.

Why did madam Khaleda stop the opposition MPs from joining the parliamentary team when they visited India in connection with TMD? That committee discussed the issue elaborately with Indian counterpart and acquired important documents. The Indian government has made categorical commitment that nothing that harms Bangladesh will be done at the TMD.We have reports that TMD may be abandoned altogether, if it turns out that this is really harmful to environment.
Kobiguru Tagore and Rebel poet Nazrul are integral parts of Bangla culture. It is really laughable that Mrs. Khaleda wants to make an issue of it. The PM Hasina recited poems of both when speaking to Indian elites after receiving the Indira Gandhi peace award. How did Mrs. Khaleda find that our PM had neglected Rebel Poet? To most Bangladeshis, the Kobiguru and the Rebel poet are like the confluence of Padma-Meghna-Jamuna; they are inseparable. Hasina government has done enough and doing enough for both such towering cultural icons.

From 2001 to 2006 the BNP-Jamat alliance government made Bangladesh safe heaven of Indian and Bangladeshi terrorists. There are allegations that state sponsored terrorists carried out killings of ex-Finance Minister SAMS Kibria, and Ahsanullah Master MP. The terrorists even tried to kill present PM at the heart of capital city during broad day light killing Ivy Rahman (wife of current President of Bangladesh Government) and many other innocent people. Why the Khaleda government could not nab those killers? What happened at CUFL Jetty during her time? What about the allegation of massive Arms Haulage for ULFA? Can madam Khaleda rightfully claim that they were committed to strengthening the sovereignty of Bangladesh while aiding terrorism?

She also alleged that people did not vote Mahajote to power; they came through vote rigging. Why it is only Khaleda and her party who could detect this? Why not rest of the world? Her government set all those senior Army Officers and others who later formed the Care Taker Government in 2007. Army Chief General Moin U Ahmed was preferred by Khaleda Government over few other seniors and more deserving candidates. General Masud Uddin likewise also was their choice because he was Said Iskandar’s (Khaleda’s young brother) bhayra bhai (relative through marriage of common sisters). It was our Army that worked hard for creating the voter ID. Few million false voters who were included in the voter list during Khaleda time as part of her election engineering were pruned. Our people executed their voting right in free and fair manner, a fact which was confirmed by international election monitoring agencies. So her allegations about vote rigging in 29008 elections are not tenable. They appear sour grapes!

About connectivity, madam Khaleda claimed that the current usage to be about 60% capacity at Chittagong port and about 40% capacity at the Mongla port. This is a highly debatable figure. The past Care Taker Government and the present government have done much to increase activities of those two ports after the fall of the Khaleda government. For the sake of argument, if we take her figures to be correct, what is the harm if port connectivity would ensure 100% capacity utilization? Madam Khaleda must explain how offering port connectivity to neighbouring countries jeopardise the sovereignty of Bangladesh? When the proposed port facility expansion, envisioned by Singapore investors for Mongla, is implemented, the facilities will be quadrupled. Instead of fooling our masses, madam Khaleda should tell those cock and bull stories to her grand children. That would be fair and square!

Before the PM’s trip to India, Madam Khaleda vowed to either lay thorn on the ways of PM Hasina or garland her. The people of Bangladesh have overwhelmingly accepted what Hasina has achieved in India. The world community acclaimed the trip in a chorus. The choice is obvious; madam Khaleda must now garland Hasina and join politics of amity and peaceful co-existence. She must join the parliament and keep our government honest so that it does not stray away or deviate from fulfilling its election promises. That is what our nation expects and not empty rhetoric from the leader of opposition.

What is actually happening with opposition politics is rather disturbing. It is in a conspiracy mode since the election victory of the Mahajote Alliance. It is irate that Bangabandhu-killers, which it protected all these years, will soon be executed. There are speculations that the trials of the BDR killings will expose its conspiratorial hand behind the tragic event, which intended also to kill the PM Hasina on that fateful day of February 25 if she had appeared in the Darbar Hall. The Opposition is also uneasy about the trial of the War criminals, which will start soon. The current government is carrying out detail probes of the 21st August carnage, killing of S.AMS Kibria, Ahsanullah Master, and journalists in Khulna (Humayun Kabir and Manik Shaha). None of these developments are desirable for the BNP-Jamat alliance that ruled the country when such acts of violence took place. Many of the killers are now hiding in India. The extradition of such terrorists and killers and the ensuing trial that would surely follow may actually expose their links with the BNP- Jamat government of the past. So the BNP- Jamat opposition is genuinely concerned and are trying to create issues out of non-issues, making moles out of mountains, to somehow take people’s attention elsewhere. And that is what the opposition is up to these days.

But such ploys should not discourage the Mahajote government from boldly facing each of those issues coolly. Per people’s wishes, all acts of crime, corruption, money-laundering and land-grabbing must be probed and all criminals must be brought to justice. That is why people voted for the Mahajote. They want change – a paradigm shift from old, evil days of politics and governance to one of law, order, transparency and justice.

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Kh. A. Saleque (Saleque Sufi) is the ex-Director (Operation) GTCL and writes from Australia.

Ershad took over power by removing a democratically elected BNP president, Abdus Sattar, after which he went on to shelter war criminals as well as the killers of the Father of the Nation, gifted Bangladesh with a state religion, implemented Ayub Khan-style basic democracy that was nothing but mere eye-wash, and wrote poetry. All this catalyzed the twin processes of criminalization and Islamisation in politics. Then came the mass democratic movement of the ‘90s and Ershad was jailed. It’s easy to assume that he passed his days and nights like Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar by staring at the red bricks. The subsequent 15-year democratic spin ended with the installment of a military supported 1/11 caretaker government in 2007. Khaleda Zia and Shaikh Hasina were in turn relocated to those same red brick premises.

Khaleda Zia was incarcerated for her desire to rule over Bangladesh till her death. She came to power in 1991, and as a means to an end followed in the footsteps of her arch-enemy Ershad by tolerating political criminalization and promoting the killers of Mujibur Rahman. People’s choice ousted her 5 years later but as luck would have it, Shaikh Hasina too failed to hold her party godfathers on a tight leash and had to relinquish power after five years.

BNP won the 2001 polls with a brute majority, and we assumed Khaleda Zia must have learnt from her mistakes. We were again disappointed. This time round her son Tareq Rehman, like Sanjay Gandhi, started a parallel government from his whirl castle. Tareq’s sycophants launched percentage terrorism while simultaneously courting and facilitating the Talibanisation of Bangladesh, and prepared ground for election engineering. Tareq could not play the Nero’s flute as times would not permit him to go that far, so he took to cricket to ridicule an opposition protest. But it had the same effect: Dhaka started burning like Rome. Sadly, Khaleda Zia’s affections for her son turned out to be blinder than that of Indra Gandhi.

Having said that, it’s lamentable the kind of physical abuse Tareq Rehman had to face during the 1/11 administration. Such penance cannot be expected in a modern state. One can simply hope Tareq has realized that no power is absolute. He could have avoided being the target of such harassment had his involvement in politics been fair enough to win the hearts of an apolitical majority. Then there would have been no reason for the masses and the military to support 1/11. If leaders consider relying on political institutions a long winded wait and try to take fate into their own hands, nature inevitably steps in to put things back on course, sometimes rectifying a wrong with another wrong.

One might add that it’s still quite early to judge if lessons have been learnt, but a time-tested maxim does arise: without respect for democracy and people’s will, political ground can overnight turn into ashes.

And what did Shaikh Hasina learn during her confinement within the red bricks of soul? She displayed courage by getting rid of a few party godfathers and power abusers who had made her ’96 government unpopular. She, however, has not been able to stop her party cadres from changing the names of institutions in the BNP fashion, nor restrain their attempts to paint the face of Bangladesh with the colors of Awami League.

Politicians of questionable ethics and pseudo media-intellectuals talk about 1/11 as if they had no contribution to the rise of that undemocratic setup. Such political businessmen and opportunist intellectuals would do better if they learnt to earn their bread and butter just like the hardworking people they claim to represent.

Had there been no Hawa Bhaban (Tareq’s whirl castle), had the BNP not tried to install a favorable caretaker government to engineer elections, had there been an impartial election commission with a fair voters’ list and had the civil bureaucracy not been lego-ised to support election fraud, the political scene today would been much friendlier.

The current Awami League-led grand alliance will have to show conformity with democratic institutions and will have to rely on people’s will alone. It will have to realize that voters are neither supporters of Awami League not of BNP. Voters are only clients of democracy, willing to give mandate to the party that delivers. Neither they nor anyone else wants to see the shadows of 1/11 haunting the collective fate of peace-loving nation.

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Maskawaith Ahsan is a broadcaster, journalist, author, blogger and the editor of  The-Editor.net.

We are sure PM will make it all clear in the next session of the Parliament. She has already briefed some points to the press on her return home. But judging from the hue and cry BNP and their pet intellectuals are trying to raise, let’s try and assess what can be the impacts of the agreements and discussions of two PMs in the recent meet.

Agreement to Exchange Convicted Criminals.

Bangladesh and India share extensive porous border. Criminals and killers committing crimes and murders easily cross the borders and stay there away from the justice for years. From across the borders they continue controlling unsocial activities. Some of them do get the punishment in absentee, and that’s it. So it’s obvious that these convicted criminals could not be taken home without any extradition treaty. There are reports that several listed top terrors of Bangladesh are hiding in India. Some of them are even in Indian jails. There are reports that at least two killers of Bangabnadhu who got death sentence are also jailed in India, so are two alleged criminals of 21ST August Bangabandhu Avenue grenade carnage. On the other hand several Indian top leaders of ULFA, Laskar-E Tayeba are in Bangladeshi jail. Can any agreement which will pave the way for exchange of these sentenced criminals and crime suspects to face justice in their own land be considered anti state activity?

BNP-Jamat during their rule made Bangladesh safe heaven of Indian and Pakistani terrorists groups. Several ULFA, Laskare Tayeba, HUJI top leaders were protected, sheltered and allowed to operate from Bangladesh. Deadly Arges Grenades smuggled from Pakistan were used in 21ST August carnage in other areas to kill innocent civilians and popular political leaders. There are allegations that these were sponsored by the then Government ministers, Intelligence services and BNP policy makers. So when that party start protesting this extradition treaty, some would assume that behind this weird reaction actually lies the fear, and that is of the consequence of bringing back these criminals who may in turn leak the secret ally of the BNP leaders with them. On the other hand return of Indian ULFA leaders and their trials by India may expose the secret links of BNP – Jamat linkage with them.

Bangladesh and India vowed neither country will allow their land to be used for carrying out any subversive activity against other .This effectively means no Indian separatists insurgents of the 7 sisters will get safe hideouts in Bangladesh and same will happen to those Bangladeshi insurgents of Chittagong Hill Tracts will not get shelter in India. Wonder what faults BNP is finding here. They off course allowed Bangladesh as corridor for passage of deadly weapons for Indian separatists. The ten truck arms fiasco is already awaiting the trial.

Indian government has categorically committed that nothing that harms Bangladesh will be done at Tipai Mukh.The PMs also vowed to work positively to reach an agreement regarding sharing of Teesta river water. The JRC meeting to expedite this and also on issues related to Feni, Muhuri, Khowai, Dharala and Dudkumar rivers will be held at a convenient time in the current quarter of 2010. Actions on Dredging of Ichamati River and protection of Mahananda, Karotoa, Nagar, Kulik, Atrai, Dharala and Feni rivers were also agreed to be worked out. India appreciated the urgency of Bangladesh government to regenerate required water flow in all rivers and agreed to support Bangladesh initiatives to dredge rivers for flood control, navigation and access to ports. India agreed to provide dredgers on urgent basis.

How can any one of the above be considered against the Interest of Bangladesh?

Bangladesh as India has also agreed to create some facilities as part of regional connectivity. Ashuganj, Bangladesh and Silchar Assam will be port of Call. India, Nepal and Bhutan may use port faculties at Mongla and Chittagong to transport goods in Roads and Rail. Bangladesh will use Indian Corridor to trade much more freely with Nepal and Bhutan. Can anyone analytically demonstrate how these will go against the interest of Bangladesh? Our port facility will improve, the roads and Railway infrastructure will improve, and Bangladesh will have huge economic gains.

Bangladesh and India will link their power grids facilitating power trading. In appreciation of present power crisis in Bangladesh India agreed to supply 250MW power immediately at their off peak. Once Power grids are linked in future this links Bangladesh can use to trade power with Nepal and Bhutan as well. The power trading will be done under cover of sovereign government agreement. The power tariff will be transparent and properly structured. Power trading and energy trading is well established phenomenon in S North and South America, East and West Europe and even in South East Asia. Once there is grid connectivity there will fresh enthusiasm in joint venture development of power generation utilising untapped energy resources in region.

Before criticising this BNP must see their ugly face in the mirror as they in the 5 years rule of last term failed to add the new power required to meet growing demand. The present power crisis is due to BNP-Jamat mismanagement and plundering of resources through massive corruption in power sector.

India has pledged providing 1billion US$ soft term 1.9% interest payable in 20 years loan to Bangladesh. These will be used in communication infrastructure. Compared to loans from WB and ADB this is much more attractive. How does it harm Bangladesh interest?

India will assist Bangladesh in river dredging and will provide 9 dredgers immediately. Does it harm Bangladesh or go against our interest?

India and Bangladesh have agreed to resolve maritime boundary disputes through discussion. They have also agreed to resolve boundary issues within the spirit of 1974 agreement. Does these in anyway harm Bangladesh?

We have found that PM Sheikh Hasina has done wonderful job. Government must discuss the full text of agreements, MOU in the parliament. Press and media must print authentic reports. Peaceful co-existence respecting each other’s sovereign rights will be so very useful for the countries of the region. People of Bangladesh must not be dodged by cheap anti Indian slogans by failed BNP Jamat anymore.

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Kh. A. Saleque (Saleque Sufi) is the ex-Director (Operation) GTCL and writes from Australia.

By Sushanta Das Gupta and Kh.A.Saleque.

Morning dawned brightly and beautifully for Bangladeshis living in different countries of the southern hemisphere with the news that two friendly neighbours Bangladesh and India have finally broken through all impasse to build long lasting forward looking relationship. PM Sheikh Hasina is on a state visit to India. The two countries have inked three agreements and two MOU to boost co-operation – security, power, trade and connectivity, water sharing and resolution of all other long standing bilateral issues and concerns which unnecessarily soured relations. PM Hasina also received Indira Gandhi Peace Award from Indian President Mrs Protiva Patil.

It is worth remembering that India sheltered millions of refugees during our liberation war when occupation Pakistan army unleashed genocide. India also provided training and arms to our freedom fighters and Indian army fought alongside with us in liberating our dear home land. Several Indian soldiers also laid down lives to help assist Bangladesh liberation. Bangladesh government operated in exile during the war. But such invaluable bond of fraternity became sour for several unnecessary irritants emanating poor political vision and commitment, lack of trust and faith among them. Religious fundamentalism, influence of some international community , and to some extent big brotherly attitude of big neighbour often contributed to misgivings.

Days have changed. New decade has emerged with new hopes. Now with two positive looking democratic government in state power – congress in India and Awami League led Mahajote in Bangladesh doors and windows have opened to forge understanding to barrier across past impediments for pursuit of common good – bilaterally, globally and regionally.

In the 50 point historic communique issued after the summit meeting at Hyderabad House PM Hasina and PM Manmohon have pledged commitment to working positively for solving all issues with the spirit of mutual respect, understanding and cooperation.

Indian government has categorically committed that nothing that harms Bangladesh will be done at Tipai Mukh.The PMs also vowed to work positively to reach an agreement regarding sharing of Teesta river water. The JRC meeting to expedite this and also on issues related to Feni, Muhuri, Khowai, Dharala and Dudkumar rivers will be held at a convenient time in the current quarter of 2010. Actions on Dredging of Ichamati river and protection of Mahananda, Karotoa, Nagar, Kulik, Atrai , Dharala and Feni rivers were also agreed to be worked out.

India appreciated the urgency of Bangladesh government to regenerate required water flow in all rivers and agreed to support Bangladesh initiatives to dredge rivers for flood control, navigation and access to ports. India agreed to provide dredgers on urgent basis.

PMs also agreed to resolve maritime boundary disputes through mutual discussions. They acknowledged the initiation of proceedings under Annex VII of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and in that context India welcomed a visit of a Bangladesh delegation.

Issues related to land boundary disputes were agreed to be resolved keeping in view the spirit of 1974 Land Boundary agreement. It was agreed to convene Joint Boundary Working Group to address this issue.

Bangladesh agreed to let India, Nepal and Bhutan use Mongla and Chittagong port by rail and road for trading.It was also agreed that RohanpurSingabad broad gauge railway link will be available for Bangladesh for transit to Nepal. Bangladesh informed India of its intention to convert Radhikapur Birol railway line into broad gauge and requested railway transit link to Bhutan as well. To facilitate smooth trading of goods , it was agreed that trucks from Bhutan and Nepal would be allowed to enter about 200 metres into the zero point at Banglabandha at Banglabandha-Phulbari land customs station. Necessary arrangements will be mutually agreed upon and put in place by both countries.

Countries agreed to jointly combat organized terrorism, insurgency and criminal activities. Countries earlier signed to exchange convicted criminals .PMs assured each other that the territory of either will not be allowed for activities inimical to the other, and resolved not to allow their respective territories to be used for training, sanctuary and other operations by domestic or foreign terrorist/militant and insurgent organisations and their operatives.

Both prime ministers agreed that the respective border guarding forces will exercise restraint, and underscored the importance of regular meetings between the two border security forces to curtail illegal cross border activities, and to prevent loss of lives.

Apart from above Bangladesh and India earlier signed three agreements and two MOUs. Bangladesh under power trading agreement will import about 250MW power from Indian eastern grid. The actions required for Grid connectivity will be completed soon.

Power trading agreement is the stepping stone to set up regional power grid and energy ring. The countries of this region have enormous untapped energy resources which if jointly explored and exploited can provide energy security of the entire region for several years. Bangladesh is in desperate situation now due to massive corruption and mismanagement of energy sector over the last 7 years.Bangladesh is suffering worst ever power and energy crisis now.

India also agreed to allow 42 additional Bangladeshi exportable commodities access into Indian market tariff free. This will act significantly to improve trade imbalance.

India also agreed to provide 1 Billion US dollar loan to Bangladesh. for a 20 year term at 1.9% interest whereas World Bank loan interest is 5%.

India will also provide 300 Scholarships to meritorious Bangladeshi students. Dohagram and Angorpota enclaves with get power supply and fly over will be built for Teen Bigha.

It was also agreed that Ashuganj of Bramanbaria and Sheelghat of Asam will be used as port of call. A joint team will work out the required infrastructure and the carrying costs of over dimensional cargo from Ashuganj.India will make required investment. Contractors of both countries will be eligible for works. The Agartala –Ashuganj Rail Link will be set up under Indian grant.

The issues between India and Bangladesh have been accumulated over the last 35 years since 1975. Unfortunately previous governments either for shallow vision or for inferiority complex did not really honestly and sincerely tried to resolve these issues. Communal feelings of some section of people in both countries also acted as barriers, bureaucrat in both countries also always tried to keep things hanging. It is a very encouraging sign that ice has melted.

If two governments remain honest and committed there is nothing which can barrier the building the bridges of good healthy neighbourly relation for the greater interest of the great people of the region. Days will come soon when barbed-wire fencing will be removed and people will move like free singing birds across.

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Sushanta Das Gupta, the editor of E-Bangladesh and Kh. A. Saleque (Saleque Sufi) is the ex-Director (Operation) GTCL and writes from Australia.

Photo: Awami League President Sheikh Hasina, in her first public speech after her party’s landslide victory in the 29th December 2008 Parliamentary Election, urged all parties to work together for the betterment of Bangladesh stressing on the importance of the opposition in the country’s future as a democratic state. Dhaka, Bangladesh. December 31 2008. by: Khandakar Anisur Rahman, Japan,DrikNEWS.

BNP beneficiaries would say ‘Paradise Lost’; Awami Leaguers would claim ‘Paradise Regained’, while the apolitical ones would assess the situation as ‘So Far So Good’.

Just when the Awami League-led grand alliance stepped out of the pavilion to start governance, Pilkhana tragedy took place, forcing the government into a tight spot. The prime minister handled the conspiracy with the care it demanded, and even though the trial of the perpetrators has been delayed, hopefully justice will not be denied.

The initial cabinet was full of freshmen; AL subsequently got rid of the stereotyped political faces but purging veterans from the playing field has not been an easy task; they are after all a burden of the Awami League legacy. And freshmen, who are trying to prove better replacements, clearly lack the efficiency and political subtlety required to keep up with modern day politics. To be fair, it deserves to be mentioned that the veterans, too, have had serious shortcoming in areas of diplomacy and constructive efficiency.

The new government controlled price hike well during the first six months of attaining power, but syndicate horses are at best wild, and conformity proves less profitable. We well know the mantra of third world laissez faire: pure profit without social responsibility.

Brownouts continue to make life miserable in Bangladesh, yet some credit is owed to the AI-led government’s attempts at stabilizing power supply.

Shaikh Hasina promised to change the old ways; a few sons of old MPs understand this ‘change’ to be a coinage good enough only to lure people. Genetic propensity to grab lands of the retreating parties (post ’47 and again post ’71) cannot be curbed with an up to date election manifesto alone. It needs more than cosmetic ideals. Ironically, in a changed global reality threatening journalists the old fashioned way didn’t work to their benefit either. For seven years tender terrorists and un-studently student leaders had to sit on the sidelines and watch their BNP counterparts succeed through loot, plunder and torture. When their time came, the media didn’t let them enjoy their honeymoon. Central leaders of the Awami League also signaled to the notorious party cadres to behave.

For the first time in 38 years, the Education Minister, Nurul Islam Nahid, has come out with a meaningful policy; overcoming all hurdles he lived up to his promise of providing free books to young learners.

Finance minister, Abdul Mal Muhit, active with economic reforms, has taken peasants’ rights into consideration, urged reforms in the banking sector and offered revised pay scales to public servants. Matia Chowdhury, a legend of political honesty, continues with her success in the agricultural sector, but unfortunately even she hasn’t been able to come out of the political blame game culture. It’s really quite unnecessary to speak ill of the opposition while sitting with a brute majority.

The law and order situation has improved. However, ongoing extrajudicial killings question the credibility of a democratic government. Manpower diplomacy has been average; there are still many needs to be taken care of. The looming threat of recession alone may send more workers back home. Environmental diplomacy, too, has failed to be come through as extraordinary; perhaps because our Prime Minister didn’t voice enough concern over carbon emissions, yet forcefully demanded financial compensation. This could be ignored as a mere reflection of an overall mindset of a poor nation perpetually occupied with making ends meet.

The government’s initiative towards improving relations with India is timely, while our opposition is still trying to sell its anti-India propaganda not realizing that New Delhi and Beijing are emerging realities in the current world order.

Verdict in the Father of the Nation killing case has come as a relief for the conscience of Bangladesh. Now the war criminal trial should be activated to uphold human rights as promised in the election manifesto. Diplomacy with the Muslim world must be strengthened for many reasons, not less of which is that war criminals should be stopped from seeking sympathy in the name of their Islamic outfit.

Militants tried to Talibanize Bangladesh during the BNP-Jamaat rule, but as the people of Bangladesh are generally secular and the media played a constructive role, we got a clean slate from the western world. The AL-led government shares the credit in allowing people to practice Islam peacefully.

Shaikh Hasina claims that her government this time round is truly green and free from corruption. But she should not forget that the British and Pakistani colonial rules successfully cultivated political criminalization in Bangladesh; a process continued by the military rulers. That’s why it’s generally understood that people enroll into politics to earn or to loot. No one can change this mindset overnight. Nevertheless, things are moving towards the better; realizing the end result and having paid the price of political corruption BNP has promised to transform its whirl palace into a light house.

BNP ought to keep its promise or risk losing more votes. One must, however, say that being in the opposition has been an advantage in Bangladesh since 1991: when the party in power fails to deliver people opt for the opposition. So Awami League will have to work hard to maintain popularity, at least till the next elections. By then almost 70 per cent voters will emerge from a generation that holds information in a cell phone. Political coquetry will have become old fashioned by that time. So either you deliver or No Thanks – that’s going to be the political reality in Bangladesh.

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Maskawaith Ahsan is a broadcaster, journalist, author, blogger and the editor of  The-Editor.net.

Read all posts by Maskawaith Ahsan

Decades ago, Sylhet municipality (before it became a city corporation) had an admittedly crazy candidate for the position of chairman: A Mr. Saiful. The whole town knew he had mental problems, and he openly discussed it. His campaigning was novel, too: he declared, in open meetings, that he was going to take a total of one crore (10 million) taka in bribes, after which he will do real work.

Would you be surprised to hear that Mr. Saiful, a crazy person with a declared manifesto of taking bribes, defeated major party (AL, BNP, JP) candidates and was elected? The heavily favored AL candidate and the challenger BNP candidate both lost despite rigging the vote in many polling centers.

People were so disgusted, they voted Saiful (also known as Chokka Saiful) as the Chairman.

People have power to vote, and they wield that power thoughtfully. A cartoon published on Nov 5, 2008, after Obama was elected says “the most powerful person in the free world is a voter”. We thought this would be appropriate for Bangladesh as well.

We saw this in 1991–pundits were predicting an AL win, but people remembered that AL formed an alliance with Jatyo Party/Ershad and punished them by voting for BNP. BNP went to power and abused it, so people voted for AL in 1996.

You’d think AL would learn by then. They conducted business as usual, and was kicked out of power in the 2001 election. Which brings us to 2008, and the massive boot given to BNP by the voters in Bangladesh.

Awami League leadership and specially Sheikh Hasina will do well to remember this history. A landslide victory does not mean a license to mess with the constitution or the civil rights of people. It does not mean an unrestricted license to steal for the petty thugs in the party (or the big thugs in the party). It does not mean a massive revenge campaign against BNP rank and file members. Above all, it does not mean the laws of the country won’t apply to Awami Leaguers any more.

May AL and Sheikh Hasina find the wisdom to govern wisely.

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J @ Shada Kalo [http://shadakalo.blogspot.com] writes using a pseudonym and is best known for exposing government, military, corporate foul plays through whistle-blowing investigative reports.

[Read posts by J @ Shada Kalo]

Appointment Letter:

To:
Sheikh Hasina Wazed
C/O AL

Dear Mrs. Wazed:

Congratulations. We are happy to inform you that your employment application for the position of Prime Minister of Bangladesh has been accepted.

You have been accepted to lead the country on a five-year contract employment basis.

During the application review process, we considered your previous employment history from 1996 to 2001, and your performance during that period. Upon review, we found that you did an adequate job.

But don’t get too elated. To be honest, the applicant pool was rather thin this year. Your toughest competition came from your immediate past predecessor, who left such a wide swath of destruction around her that we had no trouble making up our mind and rejecting her; after which there was only you left to be picked.

Given your predecessor’s performance, note that we will keep a very close watch on you and your cohorts, and we will exercise our option to remove you at the expiry of the contract if your job performance is not adequate.

We do sincerely hope that you will not disappoint us. If you do, learn from your rival what fate awaits you.

One suggestion: go easy on trumpeting 1996-2001 as the ‘golden era’. We still remember that Bangladesh landed at the top of the list of corrupt countries during that tenure for the first time.

On election night, there were reports of violence perpetrated by your supporters. This is the time to rein them in, or you will forever lose control of them.

But let us focus on the future and positive outcomes. Know that we wish you well and hope for your success in the future.

Sincerely,

Voters of Bangladesh

Rejection letter:

To:
Mrs. Khaleda Zia
C/O BNP

Dear Mrs. Zia:

We regret to inform you that your employment application for the position of Prime Minister of Bangladesh has been denied.

During the application review process, we considered your previous employment history from 2001 to 2006, and your performance during that period. Upon review, we found that not only you did not do a good job, you brought along relatives who stole from people and profited at the expense of this country.

You also underperformed as manager–you hired people with little skill based on their friendship with your son, and let them flaunt the laws and regulations at will.

Your government landed Bangladesh at the top of the list of corrupt countries four years in a row.

Lastly, you allowed, with your full consent and knowledge, the establishment and growth of a colony of blood-sucking leeches also known as Jamaat, and their even more dangerous cousins, HUJI and JMB. You and your ministers denied the existence of a terrorist named Bangla Bhai, and your ministers directly aided and abetted this extremist.

As such, we are awarding the job to another candidate better suited for the position.

Please note that this denial is not final: you are welcome to apply for the job again in five years when it becomes available again, but you have to prove that you are better than the incumbent if you wish to gain employment.

Until then, we wish you well and hope that you will use this time constructively for the betterment of your governance and managerial skills, and not on destructive practices such as hartals, etc.

Sincerely,

Voters of Bangladesh

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J @ Shada Kalo [http://shadakalo.blogspot.com] writes using a pseudonym and is best known for exposing government, military, corporate foul plays through whistle-blowing investigative reports.

[Read posts by J @ Shada Kalo]

In the past only once had the leaders of the two dominant political parties and rivals Khaleda Zia and Shiekh Hasina cooperated. The heads of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Awami League (AL) have not met or even spoken to each other for more than a decade since 1990 when they had worked unitedly to oust the military autocrat H.M. Ershad. Many believe that for the sake of the country’s future it is high time that they forsake their differences in order to bring in a democracy that they had failed to establish after the ’90s mass upheaval.

by: Azizur Rahim peu, DRIK News
Dhaka, 1990

Awami League President Sheikh Hasina is delivering speech in an election meeting at Paltan ground today afternoon. Hundreds of thousands of Awami League supporters came to see her in this meeting. AL President Sheikh Hasina will address public meetings at Comilla and Feni on Saturday en route to Chittagong.

by: Amdadul Huq, DRIK News
Dhaka, Bangladesh. December 26 2008