Meet to review progress today
In a move to expedite implementation of the joint communiqué issued on the visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India in January, the government has called for an inter-ministerial meeting today to review the progress.
PM's Economic Affairs Adviser Mashiur Rahman, who looks into the Indo-Bangladesh matters, especially agreements and commitments made by the PM and Dr Manmohan Singh, has convened the meeting at prime minister's office.
Senior officials of different ministries will attend the meeting to review the progress reports of different ministries, especially of home, communications, shipping, commerce and finance, said official sources.
“Bangladesh is very serious about implementing all the issues, but there is a lack of serious attempts on India's part to settle outstanding issues and expedite implementation of the commitments made at the joint communiqué,” said a top official, not wanting to be named.
He said bureaucratic inertia and lack of political will from certain Indian sides, delaying implementation of vital issues.
These include maritime boundary dispute in Bay of Bengal, demarcation of border and implementation of 1974 boundary agreement, sharing of Teesta water, supply of dredging machines and removal of tariff and non-tariff barriers from Bangladeshi products.
Sources said although Bangladesh prepared various projects to facilitate trade and commerce, connectivity and transit and trans-shipment between the two countries, India took a lengthy time to sign a $1 billion loan deal.
However, the deal was signed in July and Bangladesh is making progress in implementation of 14 projects, undertaken mainly by ministries of communications and shipping.
“We have almost prepared a tender schedule to buy four dredgers under a project,” Shipping Secretary Abdul Mannan Hawlader told The Daily Star, adding that the project to construct an internal container river port at Ashuganj Port was also finalised.
Bangladesh and India recently signed an agreement, which declares Ashuganj in Bangladesh and Silghat in India as ports of call.
Communications ministry, having most of the projects, has already floated tenders to buy locomotives from India.
“The projects to construct an overpass at Jurain rail crossing and a road between Ramgarh and Sabroom (Tripura's southern border town) are waiting for Ecnec's approval,” said Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain.
Meanwhile, India agreed to hold the Joint Boundary Working Group on November 10 and 11 in New Delhi after repeated requests from Bangladesh.
Although both the PM's agreed to amicably resolve maritime boundary dispute, there has been no serious attempt in the last 10 months.
India agreed to sign an interim agreement on sharing of Teesta water and Bangladesh handed over a draft agreement, but there is no such move has been made from the Indian side to ink the deal.
On the other hand, killings of Bangladeshi citizens by the Indian Border Security Force are still on, although there have been some improvements in curbing cross-border crimes.
As per the communiqué, Bangladesh in July signed a 35-year power transmission deal with India aiming to import 250MW electricity, starting from late 2012.
But an agreement, to provide Nepal and Bhutan access to Mongla and Chittagong ports, supposed to be signed between India and Bangladesh, is also pending.
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