Kaladan News
Dated: 10/10/04
Unfriendly Gesture in Dhaka-Rangoon Relations
(By Fayas Ahmed)
There was a cloud of misunderstanding between Bangladesh and
Burma over a visit by a Bangladeshi Survey Engineering team that had to return
home immediately for lack of response
from Burma side, reported the “The Daily Ajker
Desh Bidesh” reported on26thSeptember
2004.
The Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s visits to Rangoon
have led in a new era in the correlation between the two neighbors. She said
that the planned road link between the two neighboring countries would bring
them closer as well as the other countries of the region. The regular exchanges
of visits by high officials of both countries have opened new opportunities
between the two neighbors.
General Khin Nyunt, after he took office as Prime Minister,
arrived at Dhaka on 4th April on a three-day
official visit accompanied by a 41-member delegation including several
ministers and government officials. On 5th April, Bangladesh
and Burma
signed a MoU on establishing a direct road link
between the two countries. The road, which will ultimately link to China,
is a part of Bangladesh’s
policy of developing ties with economic giants to its east. The two neighbors
also singed two other MoUs on cooperation in
agriculture and related fields and waiver of visas for Bangladeshi diplomats
and government officials.
Under the first MoU, Dhaka
and Rangoon agreed to set up joint
technical and financial taskforces to determine the details for early
implementation of the road-link project. Bangladesh
will assist in the construction of a bridge over River Naf,
which is very short distance to link the two countries.
Communication Minister Nazamal Huda and Burma
transport Minister Major General Hla Myint Swe laid the foundation stone for the 133-km highway
on 5th April 2004
that is believe to be completed in a year and a half. The friendship highway,
which would subsequently link to the Asian Highway,
will go through thirty-eight other countries, the “The Daily Star” said.
Bangladesh Foreign Minister Morshed
Khan has said the construction of the proposed Bangladesh-Burma Asian highway
will start this year, the “The Daily Star reported on September 18, 2003.
Hearing it, most of the border traders bought goods with a
hope of exporting them to Burma
but in effectively. So, the people of Bangladesh
now cast doubt over the successful construction of the road in scheduled time,
the “The Daily Ajker Desh Bidesh” reported on 26th September.
Businessmen in Bangladesh
feel the importance of direct road communication linking Dhaka-Chittagong with Rangoon
to export Bangladeshi goods to other Asian countries such as Singapore,
Thailand, Malaysia,
Indonesia, and China
without depending on any third countries. Generally, it would be a great
benefit to Bangladesh
despite the fact that there is possibility of fall of revenue in Chittagong port.
Bangladesh
was keen to construct a 133 km long portion of Asian High way between Bangladesh
and Burma,
without taking any third countries’ help. In this connection, frequent meetings
were held between the two countries contributing improvements in their
bilateral relation, particularly in the fields of politics, trade and
business.
The
cost of the road is estimated at Taka 605 crore (US$
10.083 crore) including the cost of a bridge across
the Naf River.
Bangladesh has
already given $10 million to construct bridges and culverts on its side of the
border. The road will run from Ramu to Ghondom of Cox’s Bazar District
(36 kms) within Bangladesh
to 97 kms from Taungbro
Left of Maungdaw
Township to Buthidaung Town
in Arakan State, Burma.
As
agreed upon between two countries, on 21st
June 2004, a 3-member survey team headed by Abed Uddin, Additional Chief Engineer of Roads and Highways
Division of Dhaka went to Arakan
State. Mohammad Idris,
Chittagong Zonal Additional head of Engineering and
Mohammad Kabir, an in-Chare-of Bridge Mapping
Department were the two other engineers who accompanied Eng. Abed Uddin. They went there for 4 days to make necessary survey
for construction of a bridge over Purma
River in Maungdaw Township,
Arakan State.
The bridge is part of the Asian High way and Bangladesh
is to bear the cost of its construction.
On
21st June 2004,
the said Bangladesh
survey team left Cox’s Bazar for Teknaf
and reached there at about 9:00 am.
They were scheduled to cross the Naf
River at about 10:00 am. But, they received no information from their
Burmese counterparts even after the time was over. They, however, continued
waiting in vain at Teknaf until noon. Then they crossed the border in a BDR speedboat.
With the cooperation of Nasaka, they reached a police
station under Maungdaw
Township where they waited for
their counterparts until 4:00 pm.
Since nobody appeared they returned to Bangladesh
in great disappointment, the “The Daily Cox’s Bazar”
said.
Although the Bangladesh
survey team has scheduled to discuss with concerned local and higher Burmese
officials the plan has sunk into oblivion when the high officials failed to
join them from Akyab (Sittwe)
and Rangoon. Talking to the newsmen
Eng. Kabir told that they would go to Arakan again for the purpose after discussion between the
two countries. This Burmese action had surprised everyone in Bangladesh.
People fail to understand why Burma
didn’t receive the Bangladeshi survey team. It has been sometime a subject of
discussion and criticism among the business community who wish the proposed
project to be completed soon.
In another development, eight Bangladeshi businessmen who were visiting the
border town of Maungdaw
on 24th August, on border trade were push back by the Burmese
authorities had caused tension between two sides of the border. However, some
speculate that the incident might be related to grenade explosion on 21st
August in Dhaka.
Although it has been already one year that Bangladesh Communication Minister Nazamal Huda and Burma
transport Minister Major General Hla Myint Swe laid the foundation stone for the Asian High way,
the construction is yet to start and so the project is still uncertainty. ##
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