by A Obaid Chowdhury
NY, USA
August 12, 2010
Under an arrangement between the External Relations Division (ERD) of Bangladesh Government and Exim Bank of India, Bangladesh agreed to receive one billion US Dollars from India at 1.75% interest, with an additional 0.5% for the unutilized credit, repayable in 20 years.
An effusive Finance Minister AMA Muhit bragged that this was the largest bilateral loan Bangladesh ever received. He, however, did not mention that the terms of the loan were the toughest Bangladesh, a Least Developed Country under the UN development index, ever received. Bangladesh, in fact, falls within the sub-group of the Least LDCs, making it an LLDC and qualifying for mostly grants from developed nations. On large-scale loans, interest rate is usually kept around a low 0.25%; and in most cases, such loans are converted into grants subsequently. Never did Bangladesh receive a loan at such a high rate with so many strings attached.
Only after signing the documents, Bangladeshis could learn that fourteen projects costing $600 million had been agreed between the parties. Nothing is yet known of the remaining $400 million.
According to media sources, following are the 14 projects covered under the loan:
1. $71.7 million: Cost of six dredgers from India.
2.$36.2 million: Cost of construction of an internal container port at Ashuganj on Meghna, to be built by India.
3.$31.5 million: Cost of 10 broad gauge locomotive engine from India.
4. $53.6 million: Cost of 125 Broad Gauge passenger couches from India.
5 & 6. $13.4 million: Cost of 117 railway wagons from India.
7. $120 million: Cost of two railway bridges at Bhirab and Titas to be built by India.
8. $30 million: Cost of 300 double-decker buses from India.
9. $6 million: Cost of 50 luxury buses from India.
10. $33.8 million: Cost of road construction and development of Sarail-Brahmanbaria-Sutlatanpur-Akhura-Sonardi, to be constructed mostly by India.
11. $31.4 million: Cost of two flyovers at rail crossings at Jurain and Malibagh, to be built by India.
12. $14.5 million: Cost of road construction between Ramgarh in Bangladesh and Sabroom in Indian state of Tripura, to be built by India.
13. $150.8 million: Cost of power gridline from Bahrampur in India to Bheramara in Bangladesh, to be built by India.
14. $8.92 million: Cost of research and development for Bangladesh Standard and Testing Institute, the technology support to be provided by India.
As can be seen from the above lists, nearly a quarter billion is meant to purchase Indian goods such as dredgers, locomotives, buses and railway couches. To this, one must add the cost of consultation, expertise, technology, additional machineries etc to be hired from India during and after implementation of the projects. Apart from selling Indian goods, promoting Indian business and arranging jobs for Indian consultants in Bangladesh, the projects are designed to set up the “Connectivity” through Bangladesh---and at Bangladesh’s cost---between mainland India and its far fetched and loosely connected “Seven Sisters” of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura.
This is the Third Phase in a series of fast moving steps India has been working on since 1/11 (2007), with a view to achieving its long awaited desire of politically—and perhaps militarily too---integrating Bangladesh with its northeastern region.
In fact, this desire of integration is as old as the departure of the British in 1947; and, the dream almost materialized in 1971 through Bangladesh’s independence in which India invested so heavily. Unfortunately, for India, August 15, 1975 came as a stopper, and then President Ziaur Rahman’s SAARC (South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation) concept almost jeopardized the plan. That speaks why India never allowed SAARC to take off. At the same time, coercive pressure on a defiant neighbor continued in the stoppage of waters downstream on common rivers, strangling it by wire fencing, illegally occupying South Talpatti island, denying free access to sea by claiming maritime boundary in the Bay of Bengal, aiding the miscreants in the tribal areas, just to name a few. Additionally, RAW (Research and Analysis Wing, the intelligence agency of India) remained very active, thanks to its Bangladeshi agents. High profile national betrayers showed up soon and India grabbed the opportunity to force its scheme.
The First Phase of the renewed plan started during the Caretaker administration of Moeen-Fakhruddin that installed India’s favorite—some say, puppet--Awami League in the government in January 2009.
The Second Phase witnessed the weakening of Bangladesh’s security forces, starting with the massacre of 57 brilliant army officers on February 25/26, 2009 at BDR Headquarters, followed by a systematic cleansing of the military of those elements that did not tow the Awami (or Indian) line. The process of such cleansing continued in the bureaucracy, police, judiciary and other fields. Reportedly, Bangladesh now has Indian commandos and security personnel, ostensibly to ‘protect’ its prime minister and her family members. It is also learnt that many of the country’s thriving garment industries have passed hands to Indians or NRIs (Non-Resident Indians). Many of Bangladesh’s private clinics have Indian nurses and technicians working there.
After the grounds have been prepared with the completion of the second phase, India threw in the Billion Dollar bait to Bangladesh. Its protégé, the Hasina administration, has but to swallow, for providing “Connectivity” to India. According to Foreign Minister Dipu Moni, "We are transforming Bangladesh as a regional hub and when the entire region (in effect Bangladesh and the India’s Seven Sisters) will be brought under the connectivity, India will have access to its northeastern states, unfettered movement of people and goods will be taking place.” One may ask Dr. Moni how she theorized that Bangladesh would become a regional hub by providing connectivity to Indian states alone (Nepal and Bhutan hardly count in this connectivity). During and after completion of these projects, there will surely be sailab (flood) of Indian goods, Indian machineries, Indian professionals and technicians, Indian workers and Indian businesspersons—and perhaps Indian security forces in open or in guise--everywhere in Bangladesh. Sooner, Bangladeshis may even be talking in Hindi, as do the Nepalese and Bhutanese!
Once the Connectivity is complete, the actual drama—the Fourth Phase--will come to play. It will see the never-ending stream of Indian traffic that will perhaps toss out at passing a few doles at the humble baskets to make Bangladesh “rich overnight” as its current leadership promises to its dismayed people. The connectivity is not likely to confine to road traffic alone, it will surely infiltrate its activities in other spheres aimed at gradual integration of Bangladesh with India. The freedom fighters, as well as the Shaheed ones form heaven, will then keep asking in disgust and shame: Is it what we gave our blood for in 1971?
If the Awami government were to continue, the Fourth Phase leading to total absorption of Bangladesh within the Indian scheme would not be far away. Is it not yet time for the Bangladeshis to wake up and demonstrate that they did not fight the Pakistanis in 1971 for nothing, and they can fight again for the sovereignty and integrity of their dear country and people, if need be?
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