|
-
BSF & BDR fire at each other
over small land
-
Bangladesh recalcitrant on
many key issues
-
Bangla opposes oil exploration
and accuses India of not supplying pulses and sugar
|
In widening disagreements along multiple-spheres, India and Bangladesh
exchanged heavy fire across the border and this time over a plot of land along
the Surama River bank which Bangladesh claims as its own following a change in
the river's course.
The Border
Security Force (BSF) says that the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) mobilized
forces, set up temporary bunkers, and used heavy machine gun fire to dissuade
Indian efforts to claim the strip of land. BSF says that it only used light
machine gun to retaliate fire and no one on the Indian side was injured or
killed.
The border between the two nations is in dispute in several areas and border
skirmishes had essentially come down following increased understanding, flag
meetings, and exchanges. However, Bangladesh has been increasingly and
unreasonably recalcitrant over many issues ranging from water sharing to
business. Recently, India has gone overboard to soften its approach with
Bangladesh but that seems to have sent only the wrong signals.
Joint working committees between the nations suggested a slew of measures
that would build business and allow Bangladesh to reap economic upswing in
India. As India is considering these measures overwhelmingly in favor of
Bangladesh, a diplomatic spat over oil exploration has been incited. Then a
Bangla Minister accused India of not selling it pulses and sugar without regard
to ongoing fears of
severe food shortage in India.
Bangla Prime Minister
Khaleda Zia visited India for the first time after she assumed power
but without any spectacular breakthroughs. While there is
some understanding that its experiments to allowing terrorism on its land with
the foolish belief that it will target only India, there is no agreement on
a coordinated action. Peeved by continued Bangla intransigence on gas pipelines
and access to port facilities at Chittagong,
India is now working with
Myanmar
to
use its port at Sittwe and bypass Bangladesh. Similarly, that country
has not granted permission to the Tata Group to invest billions of dollars in
an industrial complex.
Zia must realize parochialism and religious bigotry is only hurting her nation
more. Instead of cooperating in a post quota textile regime to seize business
opportunities, Bangladesh is being left behind and impoverishing its population
further.
|
