Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali yesterday said Bangladesh and India are working on establishing links with the northeast by reviving old rail links and looking at new road connectivity or reviving old ones.
“We are working on establishing links with the northeast by reviving old rail links, opening up new land customs stations/land ports/immigration points or reviving old ones; revamping trade infrastructures and looking at new road connectivity or reviving old ones etc,” he said while speaking at an international conference.
Bangladesh Itihash Sammilani has organised the two-day international conference on ‘1971 and North-eastern Indian States: Historicising and Contemporising Relationship’ at Bangla Academy.
The foreign minister said bridge over the Feni River, rail connectivity between Akhaura and Agartala and development of Ramgarh-Subroom are the small links in the bigger picture of an interconnected region that both the countries strive for.
“We have proposed direct bus services between Dhaka-Shillong and Dhaka-Guwahati. I understand that there will be direct air link between Dhaka and Guwahati soon.”
He said Bangladesh had requested the Indian government to allow it to open a deputy high commission in Guwahati and upgrade Bangladesh visa office to an assistant high commission in Agartala to increase the diplomatic and commercial presence in the northeast.
The minister said Bangladesh can import natural resources and raw materials from north-eastern states for value addition and re-export them to India or elsewhere.
“This is taking place, but needs to be done on a massive scale. Business communities of both the countries could think about more investment in different potential sectors in the region.”
Mahmood said Dhaka had contributed to development of northeast’s power sector by allowing transportation of over dimensional cargo for Tripura’s Palatana Power Plant through Bangladesh territory.
“In exchange, the Indian government is agreeable to supplying 100mw power from that plant. Once grid connectivity between the two countries is established for this purpose, it will open up more opportunities for power exchange.”
The minister said work is on to utilise northeast’s hydropower potential which would be economically viable if that surplus power could be transmitted through Bangladesh territory.
“We are also exploring joint venture investment in hydropower projects and the possibility of power import/exchange through interconnection with the northeast,” he said.
Under the aegis of sub-regional cooperation, discussions are taking place with joint working groups for cooperation in sectors of ‘water resources management & power’ and ‘connectivity’ involving Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Bhutan.
“India is keen to provide us with its surplus petroleum products through pipelines,” the minister said.
Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Pankaj Saran said when Bangladesh and India discussed the issue of northeast, they talked about connectivity.
“I don’t believe that countries which are so close geographically cannot live without connectivity,” he said.
Asian Highway, Bimstec, and recent initiative BCIM can help connect northeast with Bangladesh, he said.
The high commissioner acknowledged that in the past, there was a tendency to exploit each other.
“It is time for India and Bangladesh …to find a new development cooperation where we can help each other and not exploit each other’s weaknesses.”
He added: “We should not allow a small group of inimical forces to distort normal flow of neighbourly relations between our two countries.”