Radcliffe Line must be given a final goodbye : Bangla PM eco

A K M Mashiur Rahman, the economic adviser to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Tuesday said that the 'Radcliffe Line' must be given a "final goodbye" as it has created barriers between neighbors and impeded trade and commerce in South Asia.

Isolation is no longer a solution and strong partners are required in the world to work in a larger economic space, Rahman said in his address on the inaugural day of the two-day Indo-Bangla Stakeholders' Meet here.

The Radcliffe Line was the boundary demarcation line between the Indian and Pakistani portions of Punjab and Bengal provinces of British India. It was named after its architect, Sir Cyril Radcliffe.

 

"The boundaries created by Radcliffe should be given a final goodbye. It is a strong view that Radcliffe should not decide our future. We should treat people across borders as human beings and give them the due respect they deserve," he said.

Rahman said Sheikh Hasina has a very "human view" of politics and diplomacy. It is her policy that as there are people on both sides of the border, their interest that should be considered paramount.

"Wherever there are possibilities, we (India and Bangladesh) should work together," he said.

Rahman asserted that it was Hasina's unilateral decision not to allow separatist outfits to operate in Bangladesh as otherwise it will impact regional cooperation and development of the region.

"The (Bangladesh) prime minister decided that no separatist outfits will be allowed in our country as those who indulge in such activities think only of themselves and not for any country. The moment there is a clash of interests, they will turn against Bangladesh," he added.

The Bangladesh economic adviser said that transit was a major issue for both India and Bangladesh. "We must allow movement for north east Indian states through Bangladesh ... Infrastructure in our country is being improved with the help of India and Asian Development Bank."

Referring to sharing of river waters by the two countries, he said waters of almost all major rivers are shared by India with Bangladesh. But his country uses "only eight to ten per cent of the water and take 90 per cent of the silt".

"It is in the mutual interest of both the countries to keep the rivers navigable. River transport must be upgraded as it is cheaper and will lead to increase in trade volumes," he said.

In this context Rahman called for a joint technical study of the Ganga to find ways to improve navigability so that trade and commerce can become more viable as trade provides greater benefit to smaller nations.

"Our prime minister (Hasina) has given emphasis on re-excavation of river routes as it is low cost and feasible and makes great economic sense," he said.

On India seeking access to Chittagong port, he said Hasina had insisted on access to Mongla port too in Bangladesh for two reasons - access to both ports would ensure that one port is not congested and access to multiple ports makes the choice wider.

Referring to railway connection between the two countries, he pointed out that before partition the headquarters of North East Railway was at Chittagong. The agreement on Akhaura-Agartala rail connectivity was the first act of cooperation in rail transport between the two countries.

At present railway services between India and Bangladesh exist between Dhaka and Kolkata and Khulna and Kolkata, he said.

On border trade, he said there were problems of setting up of border hats due to political criticisms. "But now we can look at it more generously".

Trade at border points, Rahman said it has started working on a limited scale but there should be uniform regulations on both sides of the border. Also barriers regarding connectivity should be removed.

"A major problem faced at the border trade points is that Bangladesh testing certificates of products are not accepted at the Indian side. Testing laboratories with standards aligned and acceptable to both countries should be set up," he added.

Rahman also emphasised the need for a holistic approach to look across sectors and trade through one segment at a time as "cooperaton in trade provides greater benefit to smaller nations".