Even in 1971, Awami League wasn't stating it wanted independence: Srinath Raghavan

Times Of India-30.12.13

With elections approaching amidst violence, Bangladesh's future looks uncertain. Some of this is rooted in a past marked by enduring clashes.Srinath Raghavan , senior fellow at the Centre for Policy Research and senior research fellow at King's College, London, spoke with Ashish Yechury about why Bangladesh's creation was a global affair, influences shaping this — and how even Israel apparently got involved:

Your book is called 1971: A Global History of the Crea-tion of Bangladesh — why global?

Well, the creation of Bangladesh is generally seen as a subcontinental affair; in default mode, it's seen as the second partition. This seems to me a very narrow view. It doesn't take into account a wider international context in which this happened and which decisively shaped the outcome. This was a global event — participants themselves thought they had to secure global support. In a sense, the struggle on the ground was matched by a struggle for global opinion. That's central in understanding these events.

You argue Bangladesh's creation wasn't inevitable — but you list conditions in the build-up to 1971 which played a key role. How do you reconcile these?

The deterministic reading of Bangladesh primarily comes from the view that united Pakistan was an unsustainable entity. The arguments are on geography, with two wings of the same country separated by India. 

There are arguments about economic disparity, cultural differences between the Bengali and West Pakistani elite and the lopsided power-sharing arrangement between the two.

What i argue is that you don't really need to look at the background to understand how the quest for autonomy transformed into a demand for freedom. We need a wider perspective.

Is your view that if the Pakistani response wasn't so heavy-handed, there would not have been an independent Bangladesh?

You might have had a loose confederation which, in some ways, is what the Awami League and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman wanted — even as late as March 1971, the Awami League was not stating it wanted outright independence. They were asking for a loose confederation with devolution of political and economic autonomy to East Pakistan.

There was hope that with a looser confederation set-up and fair elections, the Bengalis' numerical superiority would kick in and they could get greater power, a fairer share.

Why link this to the 'spirit of 1968'?
To me, the student movements of 1968 are the turning point in the history of Pakistan. Ayub Khan had been in power for 10 years and Pakistan was doing well economically, despite growing disparity and concentration of wealth. Student movements in East and West Pakistan precipitated change.

Student movements were a global phenomenon and i quote a CIA document where they say that this was a global movement. In Pakistan, these students were from a different generation. Sheikh Mujibur himself was a student leader in the 1940s, he had fought for Pakistan with different aspirations. The radicalisation of this student movement forced the Awami League to make their negotiating position far less flexible.

Meanwhile, amidst all this, you mention Israel getting involved — can you tell us more?

The Israelis have a history of supplying weapons to India. In 1962 and 1965, they sent some weapons despite the US embargo on India in 1965. So India had a secret backchannel with the Israelis — there is no indication that the Americans knew about them giving arms in 1971.

Full diplomatic recognition from India was important for Israel as they were feeling extremely isolated at that time — they thought this would help.

Bangladesh tilting towards Military rule

No doubt that Sujhata Singh’s effort will be a futile one. It is clear from the development in Bangladesh and rigidity shown by Khaleda Jia that no positive outcome will be seen to end the impasse.  The oppositions aim to avoid election holding till crosses 25^th January 2014. i.e the end of the  parliament. After that Sheikh Hasina will not be in a commanding position.

BNP’s aggressive stance in alliance with jammat is not going to turned down in near future .BNP and Jammat is set to get the whole pie of political share.

Not only the political difference but also personal ego had made the relationship of two major political leaders from bad to worse.

It is an omen in the sky of democracy.

In many Islamic countries turmoil in daily life is most common. Bangladesh is no doubt is going the same way.

This has every chance that a time will come when people of Bangladesh will be forced to believe by on going day to day suffering that Military Rule is the only remedy and a military personnel will size the power from the government democratically evoked.

UN has to play and must play a greater and active role before the present situation should go out of control.

S Mukherjee 

India calls for free, fair polls in violence-hit Bangladesh

  

 TNN | Dec 5, 2013, 
India called for free and fair elections in Bangladesh, stressing that stability of the neighbouring country had implications for the entire region. "We hope that the forthcoming elections will respond to the aspirations of the people of Bangladesh and that they will be free, fair, impartial and peaceful and find wide acceptability," said Sujatha Singh, foreign secretary, on her first visit to the neighbouring nation. She also urged an end to the ongoing violence in Bangladesh, which has alarmed security circles in India. 

In her meetings with the government and opposition leaders in Dhaka, Singh insisted on the importance of holding elections and the importance of wide participation for the elections to be credible. "I conveyed to the Prime Minister the high importance which India attaches to having good relations with Bangladesh and to peace and stability in Bangladesh. Both these are essential elements for ensuring the larger good of our region," she said. 

Highlighting the nation's progress, she said, India had a strong interest in a stable and independent Bangladesh. She also stressed on how far Indo-Bangla relations had come, focusing on "cooperation in the areas of political understanding, security, trade and economic relations,economic development, energy and people to people exchanges". 

The Awami League government has by carping on the unfinished agenda of Teesta agreement and the land boundary pact successfully overshadowed all the bilateral progress that had been achieved. Singh made no bones about stressing on them, "energy (500 MW inter-grid connectivity and commencement of work on a 1320 mw power plant in Rampal); sub-regional cooperation in power and water and trade and connectivity; development assistance ($800 million credit line well on its way to implementation and $200 million untied grants-in-aid); trade (unilateral zero duty quota free access to all Bangladeshi products except 25 tariff lines that has led to significant increases in Bangladesh's exports to India, particularly in garments); border haats; security, border management and border infrastructure." 

She met foreign minister A H Mahmud, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, leader of the OppositionBegum Khaleda Zia and Jatiya Party chief General H M Ershad. She told them that political parties had responsibility to fight elections. Later, Ershad tweeted that she had said if they stayed away from elections, the field would be open to extremists. "As a fellow democracy, India hopes that the forthcoming elections will strengthen democratic institutions, practices and processes in Bangladesh," Singh said. 

The election boycott by the Jatiya Party is a big blow to the Awami League government, which has been trying to get all other parties into the elections leaving BNP isolated along with Jamaat-e-Islami. The nation is in the midst of increasing violence, as BNP takes its opposition to the streets. BNP wants Hasina to resign before elections are called. The PM instead has opted for an all-party government to take a more equitable approach to the elections. This is not acceptable to BNP, whose leader Begum Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina are locked in a winner-takes-all political battle coloured by deep-seated personal enmity. 

It is possible now that the elections, originally scheduled for January 5, may have to be postponed. The last date for filing of nominations was on Monday, and reports said only about 1,100 nominations have been made, when the expectation was for about 2,500. BNP certainly has not filed nominations and has asked the Election Commission to postpone the polls. Sheikh Hasina is unwilling to do that and wants to rush through elections that are deemed "free and fair" even without BNP contesting. The idea was to wean other parties away from BNP's alliance to get them to participate in the polls. That does not seem to be happening. 

Violence has also overtaken the streets, evoking strong reactions from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay. In a statement on Monday, Pillay had said, "In the past week, we have seen acts as extreme as protestors throwing molotov cocktails onto public buses without allowing the occupants to escape, leaving women and children with horrific burns... Such levels of violence are deeply shocking for the Bangladeshi people, the vast majority of whom want — and deserve — a peaceful and inclusive election." 

Dhaka is dangerously close to inviting serious international attention. Pillay went on to chastise the entire political leadership. "Whatever their differences, political leaders on both sides must halt their destructive brinkmanship, which is pushing Bangladesh dangerously close to a major crisis. Instead, they must fulfil their responsibility and use their influence to bring this violence to an immediate halt and seek a solution to this crisis through dialogue," she added

Funding Concern

118 Islamic banks belongings in Arab origin went for large investment to flow fundamentalist ideologies and terror in Bangladesh. Getting a recent report India is worried. The role of ISI of Pakistan is being looked in to. India has expressed its concern to Hasina. It is observed that Islamic banks provide loan to various Voluntary Organisation having Jamat connection.

Most of these banks are in Saudi Arab, UAE, Qatar are not above suspicion.  The report has focus on Islamic Bank Bangladesh(IBBL) and Social Islamic Bank(SIBL). Central finance ministry is surprised to find that some western countries are funding these banks in spite of huge proofs of direct relation of Saudi Arab Terror organisations. Al –Rajhi ha 37% share in IBBL . IBBL was fanied farice for providing money to militant organisations. 

It is found that some Islamic Bank of Bangladesh have “lajnat-al-birr al islam”a voluntary organisation related Al-Quida, as partner.

Recently there was meeting between Sujata singh Indian foreign Secretary and US diplomat on the issue of turmoil in Bangladesh.Delhi fears a huge exodus of religious minority from Bangladesh to India. India is also concerned regarding HUJI and JMB

Report published in ABP on 2nd November 2013

Border opens up for Kali devotees from Bangladesh

Subhro Maitra, TNN | Nov 4, 2013, 02.41 AM IST

Crematoria are mostly related to the last journey and pangs of separation. But at th Mahadipur  crematoria this KaliPuja, the sense of bereavement did not hang heavy on the atmosphere. Instead, the spirit of festivities filled the air and there were joyous mood all around as hundreds of devotees from Bangladesh crossed the border and reached the crematorium to offer prayers to goddess Kali.

For some, it was a homecoming of sorts and for others, it was nothing short of a pilgrimage. For once, religious sentiments scored over protocol. Devotees were spared suspicious glare of the border guards. In a warm gesture, they were greeted with a wide smile as they crossed the barbed wires.

However, the situation was not conducive for such seamless movement of devotees in last two years. Denied an entry into the Indian territory, thousands of devotees had to satisfy themselves by sending their offerings through BSF jawans. The situation changed for the better this year with the relaxation of norms between two nations. But, only women were allowed to cross the border.

For Sandhya Karmakar and others of village Balipota, the joy knew no bounds. "It is by the grace of Ma Kali that we could meet our sisters living here," Sadhya said. TOI spotted the siblings sharing a warm hug. On the other hand, Maya Mandal of Baliadighi, who had married off her daughter, met her after two years.

The festive spirit has brought Sabina and Mousumi Khatun all the way from Chapai Nawabgunj just to have a glimpse of their mother who lives in India. The case of Mosammat Tumpa or Jahanara Begum was more touching. They have no relatives in India. Still, they covered hundreds of miles to touch the Indian soil.

Dhirajit Singha, one of the organizers of the fair - aptly christened as Milon Mela - said, "We are grateful to the BSF to allow our Bangladesh sisters to take part in this puja. Around 300 Bangladeshi devotees crossed the border to celebrate Kali Puja."

Customs cooperation

Bangladesh and India have decided to leave two important land ports open seven days a week from January to support greater trade. The land customs stations at Benapole-Petrapole and Akhaura-Agartala will remain operational seven days a week from January 1.

This is a very effective masseur for both the countries. More hassle free customs rules will bring more business for both sides. Also trade deficit of Bangladesh with India will come down and India will get another business market.

The ninth Joint Group of Customs (JGC) also identified 16 stations as ‘high bilateral trade importance’ and agreed to take measures for synchronisation of working hours and days. It agreed on extending the car pass system to those stations to allow movement of trucks of the importing country for unloading cargo.

Hassle free and customs cooperation not only easier the business process, it also increases business volume in legal way. With will earn more tax income for both the country. Ans illegal efforts of the business will comedown.

Already Indian government made various Bangladesh’s products duty free. If Bangladesh government takes same effort then it will create more business friendly environment.

Both sides also greed to consult relevant stakeholders to simplify the travel in ‘Maitree Express,’ the lone direct train service between Dhaka and Kolkata. Hope fully this process will come very soon under the operation. This will be solid effort to strengthen bilateral relation between two countries.

A Chatterjee

India, Bangladesh discuss ways to extradite Chetia

By-Vishwa Mohon,Published in TOI-187.2013

Five months after both the countries signed an extradition treaty agreeing to deport each other's wanted criminals, India and Bangladesh on Thursday discussed the modalities of deportation of the banned outfit ULFA's general secretary Anup Chetia who has been in a Dhaka jail since 1997. 

The matter was discussed on the opening day of the home secretary-level talks when a joint working group of both the countries also took a call on handing over two Bangladeshi criminals — Subrata Bain and Sajjad Hossain — in exchange for Chetia. 

It is learnt that Chetia may be handed over to India any day after conclusion of the home secretary-level talks on Friday. The ULFAgeneral secretary is likely to be handed over to the Assam Police which has been probing a number of cases against him. 

It is expected that Chetia will first be brought here in an Indian aircraft that will be sent to Dhaka to hand over the Bangladeshi criminals Bain and Hossain. The duo was involved in attacks targeting the ruling Awami League leaders in Bangladesh. Bain is also an accused in the grenade attack on a rally of Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina in 2004. Hossain is currently lodged here in the Tihar Central Jail. 

Sources said that the government would take lenient approach in treating the outfit's general secretary after his deportation to India. 

They indicated that the Assam Police would not oppose Chetia's bail application once he is back and tried for pending cases in the court. He would be treated like other key ULFA leaders, including the outfit's chairman Arbinda Rajkhowa who has joined talks with the government. The Assam Police did not oppose bail pleas of eight senior ULFA leaders, including Rajkhowa, when they decided to join the ongoing peace talks with the government, they added. 

Rajkhowa and others had been handed over to Indian agencies in a closely guarded operation on Indo-Bangla border in December, 2009. 

"There will be more clarity on the modalities of Chetia's deportation once home secretaries of both the countries come face to face during concluding round of the talks on Friday," said an official, adding a joint statement is expected to be signed at the end of the two-day talks. 

The joint working group, comprising officials of both the countries, also discussed a number of other issues on Thursday. While the Indian side raised its concern over pushing of fake Indian currency notes (FICNs) from the other side, the Bangladeshi delegation expressed its annoyance over incidents of border firings in which a number of civilians were killed by Border Security Force (BSF). 

The 12-member Bangladeshi delegation, led by the country's home secretary C Q K Mustaq, also pressed for ratification of the 1974 land boundary agreement between the two countries to expedite the exchange of enclaves. 

The issues concerning execution of various pacts — Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty, Transfer of Sentenced Persons and Agreement on Combating Organized Crime and Illegal Drug Trafficking - were also discussed by the joint working group.

Shillong-Dhaka bus service to start soon

Times Of India-29.05.2013

SHILLONG: Bangladesh and India are set to have another link with the introduction of the much-awaited Shillong-Dhaka bus service. Meghalaya transport minister HDR LySngdoh said India and Bangladesh have mutually agreed to start the bus service and both governments have cleared it. 

Lyngdoh said, "We hope we can commence the bus service soon as we already have road connectivity".  

The Meghalaya government had sent a proposal in 2002 to the Centre for introduction of a direct bus between Shillong and Dhaka, connecting Sylhet in Bangladesh and Dawki in Meghalaya. 

"After the proposal was submitted by the state government 10 years ago, the Centre had given the nod for the project while asking whether the state was prepared to go ahead with the project as infrastructure along the border was minimal," a state government official said. 

"The Meghalaya government later communicated to the Centre its willingness to start the bus service, expecting financial assistance from the Centre," the official added. 

Home minister Lyngdoh said the bus service would not only ease travelling to Bangladesh but would promote tourism between the two countries. 

Meghalaya shares mutual interests in terms of trade besides geographical and historical contiguity with the neighbouring country. Though Bangladesh is next door, people from Meghalaya now either go to Kolkata or Agartala, where the only visa office in the Northeast is located. 

Asked if the bus service would encourage influx, as feared by some NGOs, Lyngdoh assured that the government would take care of the issue and that travelers would be required to possess valid passports and requisite visas by producing required documents.

India's nowhere people By Rudroneel 

Ghosh .  T O I 

21.5.13

One of the biggest casualties of the recently washed out budget session of Parliament is the 119th Amendment Bill to the Constitution. The amendment relates to the 1974 India-Bangladesh Land Boundary Agreement (LBA); the protocol for this was inked during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Dhaka in September 2011. Should the amendment pass muster in Parliament, it would operationalise the LBA and fully demarcate the 4,100 km India-Bangladesh land border.

Operationalising the LBA would also resolve the prickly issue of enclaves and adversely possessed pieces of land. Currently, India possesses 111 enclaves within Bangladesh, while the latter possesses 51 enclaves within Indian territory. Neither country can exercise jurisdiction over its enclaves due to geographical constraints.

This leaves the 51,000 enclave residents virtually stateless. Devoid of any infrastructure — no access to schools or even police stations — in the enclaves, they lead a pitiable existence, running from pillar to post for even the most basic of amenities. This in turn has converted the enclaves into hubs of criminal activities ranging from smuggling to human trafficking.

Should the LBA come into effect, it would lead to a direct swap of the enclaves, ending the hardships of the enclave dwellers and impeding the criminal networks that have spawned along the border areas. However, despite the LBA having been ratified in Bangladesh, the political opposition in India continues to oppose the deal on specious grounds.

In doing so, it not only risks the goodwill of a friendly Awami League dispensation in Dhaka but also jeopardises India's security interests. Instead of blindly opposing the LBA for short-term political gains, the BJP would do well to reflect on the long-term consequences of spiking the growth in Indo-Bangla relations.

There are three issues on which the BJP has sought to block the LBA. First, since the swap of enclaves would involve New Delhi ceding 17,149 acres of its territory to Dhaka in return for 7,110 acres, India would lose a few thousand acres. Second, the LBA does not address the issue of illegal migration from Bangladesh. And third, that the basic framework of the Indian Constitution prevents the government of the day from ceding any portion of Indian territory.

With regard to the first objection, it is true that the enclaves swap would entail India losing around 10,000 acres of land area. However, it needs to be borne in mind that a significant portion of the land that New Delhi would be giving up has been lying fallow for decades. Besides, as things stand, the writ of the Indian state does not run in these landlocked enclaves in any case. Hence, the loss in land area is only notional.

Second, the issue of illegal migration is outside the remit of the LBA. The agreement simply deals with demarcating the land border and addressing historical geographical anomalies such as the enclaves. Illegal migration is something that can only be addressed through a detailed study of the push and pull factors, which in turn are intrinsically tied to the economic development of Bangladesh. But that is a separate debate for another day.

This brings us to the third objection of the BJP with regard to the constitutional validity of the LBA. The party has contended that the agreement and the corresponding Amendment Bill were violative of the basic features of the Constitution, which the Parliament was not equipped to amend. Since the country's borders as mentioned in Schedule 1 of the Constitution qualified as basic features, the government's move could not be entertained.

In the face of this objection, it would be prudent to ask how the BJP plans to ensure the fundamental rights of the 37,000 residents of the Indian enclaves in Bangladesh, which are also guaranteed by the Constitution. How will it ensure basic infrastructure development in the enclaves? Surely, if these enclaves are an integral part of India, then the enclave dwellers are entitled to the same rights as any Indian citizen residing in another part of the country.

Yet, the plight of enclave dwellers has largely gone unheard since Independence. Cut off from the Indian mainland, even obtaining access to hospitals is a Herculean task for them. Moreover, despite residing in 'Indian territory', they are unable to even partake in the most fundamental of democratic activities and participate in the electoral process. Can a claim to Indian sovereignty really be maintained when the most basic of constitutional rights cannot be ensured?

In such a scenario, the BJP's opposition to the LBA is not only violative of the human rights of the enclave dwellers but also holds to ransom positive India-Bangladesh ties. Along with the Teesta river water treaty, the ratification of the LBA has emerged as a key bilateral issue. With the Awami government in Dhaka going the extra mile to address New Delhi's security concerns — moving against northeast insurgents and anti-India elements operating from Bangladeshi soil — it expects the latter to hold up its end of the relationship.

And unlike lines of credit and trade concessions that New Delhi has already provided, ratification of the LBA is something that the Awami government can immediately advertise as a success in Indo-Bangla ties in an election year. Itself aiming to come to power in New Delhi, the BJP would do well to reconsider its position on the LBA if it wants to retain friends in Dhaka.

Wagah-like border drill at six posts on India-Bangla frontier soon (Times of India report)

 22.3.13

India-Bangladesh border may soon see Wagah-like scenes as India and Bangladesh have agreed to have similar march drills at six posts on the frontier. The first such drill, expected to be implemented this year, will start at Benapole in West Bengal on the Indo-Bangla border. 

The decision, part of a range of agreements and understanding reached at by border forces of India and Bangladesh, was taken at the two-day meet between Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) and Border Security Force (BSF) that ended here on Thursday. 

Sources, however, said the drill at India-Bangla border will be markedly different from the one held at Wagah-Attari on the India-Pak border. "It will not be a hostile meet like the one at Wagah. Bangladesh is a friend and the drill would be held in that sentiment to largely strengthen our relations," said a BSF officer. 

The annual drill at Wagah, where BSF and Pakistan Rangers conduct the exercise in an aggressive show of strength amid chants of ultra-nationalistic platitudes from people on both sides of the border, too, was started with similar intentions. However, over time it has degenerated into a reflection of the tumultuous ties between the two nations, where muscle flexing often prevails over confidence building. 

The major achievement of the meet, however, has been on the issue of border fencing which India and Bangladesh have been discussing for the past few years to stop smuggling and illegal migration. Sources said the two countries have almost sorted out all contentious issues over fencing and it is only a matter of time when 100% fencing of the border, except the riverine area, will be achieved. 

"Joint survey of all disputed patches, except some 10 patches on the Tripura border, has been completed and BGB have already sent their opinion to Bangladesh home ministry. Once it comes from there, the work will begin," said the officer. 

According to BSF sources, there are close to 220 patches on the border where disputes had arisen between the countries as fencing needed to be done within 150 yards of the zero line. India shares 4,165km-long border with Bangladesh, of which fencing for over 3,000km has been sanctioned. While close to 75% of this work has been completed, disputes between the countries had arisen over 220 sites on the border. These were areas which either have villages or terrestrial obstructions like water bodies right on the zero line. These are also among the areas often used for illegal migration or cattle smuggling. 

Versatile Views On Sahbag Movement

Sahbag, Dhaka 2013

     Many views are circling round regarding the movement. Many intellectuals are of  the view that there might be external forces behind this agitation. Analysis of the nature and character of the various movements called Arab Springs brings out stark similarity among these upsurges and Sahbag movement.

Anti Corruption Movement India 2011

It is not unnoticeable that the base of it revolves round passion and emotion mostly, not reason and logic. There is discernable lack of theoretical depth. Fighting against fundamentalist in a theological state is not a matter of a three or six month movement but it requires thoughtful integrated long lasting efforts with strong theoretical base.

Arab Spring 2010-11

Many a person opines that this movement is nothing but to release the suppressed resentment against globalisation. Imperialist forces are using the sentiment of Bengali nationalism and Liberation war of 1971 to channelise the youths anger to another   diversion for their own benefit.

Activists of democratic and human rights movements are dead against of Capital punishment and banning of any organisation. They say Hasina government is all out to exploit the present situation to push her administrative and developmental failure under the carpet and to push Khaleda Zia against wall.   

  

Long March . Pakistan 2013

It is to be noted Pakistan, India and Bangladesh are on the same line. Pakistan has seen sudden appearance of Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri   and the Long March against corruption and fundamentalist forces. Visibility of lack of political leadership is important. Same has happened in India in the name of  Anti Corruption Movement and in Delhi Rape Case. May we expect there will be after the ‘Rajakar’ issue, a issue regarding corruption in Bangladesh?

S.M &A.C