India and Bangladesh will sign a dozen of agreements and memorandum of understandings during Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh's coming Dhaka visit on 6 and 7 September 2011. As the date for signing the deals approaching fast, Dhaka and New Delhi are working round the clock to finalize the agreements. By this time, the agreements on an interim deal pact on sharing waters of the common rivers -- the Teesta and the Feni -- purchasing electricity from India, transit relating to movements of Bangladesh transports in Nepal and Bhutan via India and transshipment have been finalized. The final decisions on other agreements, including preparations of the blueprints of the rest deals and memorandum of understanding, may come by the next week.
However, Indian Water Resources Minister Paban Kumar Bansal will arrive in Dhaka on 5 September 2011, the day before the arrival of Manmohan Singh. The formal announcement on water sharing agreement of the Feni and the Teesta rivers will be made in his presence.
Diplomatic Maneuvers
Sources said Dhaka and New Delhi conducted diplomatic maneuvering more than a period of one and a half years over the 50-point joint communiqué signed during Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's India visit on 10 January 2010. The two countries particularly worked on the issues of border disputes, water management of 54 common rivers, including water sharing agreements on the Teesta and Feni rivers, trade and commerce and increasing corporation in different fields.
A process of the agreement began in January in Dhaka at a water secretary level meeting of the Joint Rivers Commission (JRC) through an announcement of signing interim agreement on sharing the waters of the Teesta and the Feni rivers. Later, negotiations began on border problem through Joint Boundary Working Group (JBWG) meeting and on transit and transshipment following a high powered Dhaka delegation's visit to New Delhi. But controversies are going on the issues.
Foreign Ministry sources said a high powered meeting was recently held at the Prime Minister's office on the possible agreements to be signed during Indian Prime Minster Dr Manmohan Singh's Dhaka visit. The meeting reviewed various aspects of the agreements.
One source relating to the meeting said the high powered meet tentatively finalized various issues, including the interim agreement on sharing waters of the Teesta and Feni rivers, the agreement on setting up joint venture power grid in Khulna, purchasing electricity from India and transit agreement, demarcating six kilometers unsettled borderline between the two countries, signing of protocol on exchanging enclaves and adversely possessed lands along the common borders or memorandum of understanding, singing of memorandum of understanding on trade liberalization under trade agreements, memorandum of understanding on using renewable energy, using Chittagong and Mongla seaports under transit agreement, three separate protocols on the use of railway and land routes, memorandum of understanding on protecting biodiversity, including tigers, in the Sundarbans, and memorandum of understanding on making provisions viewing the state television programs of the two countries by the two peoples. Besides, the signing of memorandum of understanding on setting up a railway link between Akhaura and Agartala also figured prominently at the meeting agenda.
A competent sources at the foreign ministry said more than 10 agreements and memorandum of understanding might be signed between Bangladesh and India during Manmohan Singh's visit. The accords to be signed are an interim agreement on sharing waters of the Teesta and Feni rivers, an agreement on the management of waters of the common rivers, agreement on transit and transshipment, agreement on cooperation in the power sector, agreement on trade liberalization, agreement on exchanging enclaves, agreement on handing over the adversely possessed lands and agreement on border management.
Water Sharing Pact
Meanwhile diplomatic sources said Indian Water Resources Minister Paban Kumar Bansal will arrive Dhaka on 5 September 2011 and a formal announcement on signing the water sharing agreement on the Teesta and Feni rivers will be made at a meeting of the Joint Rivers Commission in the presence of the minister.
About this agreement, a senior official of the water resources ministry said a 15-year interim water sharing pact will be signed. India has given a proposal to Bangladesh to equally share the Teesta waters Keeping 10 percent of the stream intact for keeping normal the flow of the river. He expressed the hope that another agreement on water sharing of a separate river will also be singed at that time following the Teesta model.
Points of Contention
He said the two countries have some points of contention over the 'guarantee clause' of the proposed Teesta water sharing accord. And it is hoped that Dhaka and New Delhi will arrive at a consensus on the issue before the visit of Manmohan Singh.
On the other hand, Bangladesh has taken a political decision on giving India transit facilities and allowing the country to Chittagong and Mongla seaports. The procession of fixation fees in this regard has remained at the final stage.
In this regard, Prime Minister's Economic Affairs Adviser Dr Mashiur Rahman said Indian good will transported to the northeast region of that country by using Bangladesh's naval, railway and land routes. The concerned departments of the government are working on fixing the fees in this regard. The adviser said cordoning supports are being provided to the departments whenever they face any difficulty in their work.
Prime Minister's Foreign Affairs Adviser Dr Gowher Rizvi said the facilities being developed with India, including the communication sector, will be beneficial to the entire region. Particularly, he said, all the countries will be able to use the transit facilities and the ports.
The source said, according to the rules and regulations of the World Trade Organization, regional and sub-regional cooperation, any interim, short and long term signed memorandum understanding on bilateral interests between government, individuals and organizations is treated as an agreement. Likewise before the agreement, the signed instruments aimed at reaching a decision on any agreement, including negotiations and observations, are treated as understanding.
Implementation and Violation
And at the same time necessary understanding could be reached considering the area and context of the agreement, but there is no legal binding on any bilateral party for implementing or augmenting this understanding. But legal redress could be sought against any aberration in the implementation and violation of the agreement under the existing laws.
It has become evident in field of regional and sub-regional cooperation, including the South Asia, that Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and close neighboring country India and Myanmar have many memorandum of understandings on the issues of communication, exchange of culture, curbing terrorism and other suitable matters. In continuation of this memorandum of understandings, the agreements could be renewed after the periods of 10 or 20 years or even more. Experts said the memorandum of understanding pave the way for arriving at any agreement.
However, Indian Water Resources Minister Paban Kumar Bansal will arrive in Dhaka on 5 September 2011, the day before the arrival of Manmohan Singh. The formal announcement on water sharing agreement of the Feni and the Teesta rivers will be made in his presence.
Diplomatic Maneuvers
Sources said Dhaka and New Delhi conducted diplomatic maneuvering more than a period of one and a half years over the 50-point joint communiqué signed during Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's India visit on 10 January 2010. The two countries particularly worked on the issues of border disputes, water management of 54 common rivers, including water sharing agreements on the Teesta and Feni rivers, trade and commerce and increasing corporation in different fields.
A process of the agreement began in January in Dhaka at a water secretary level meeting of the Joint Rivers Commission (JRC) through an announcement of signing interim agreement on sharing the waters of the Teesta and the Feni rivers. Later, negotiations began on border problem through Joint Boundary Working Group (JBWG) meeting and on transit and transshipment following a high powered Dhaka delegation's visit to New Delhi. But controversies are going on the issues.
Foreign Ministry sources said a high powered meeting was recently held at the Prime Minister's office on the possible agreements to be signed during Indian Prime Minster Dr Manmohan Singh's Dhaka visit. The meeting reviewed various aspects of the agreements.
One source relating to the meeting said the high powered meet tentatively finalized various issues, including the interim agreement on sharing waters of the Teesta and Feni rivers, the agreement on setting up joint venture power grid in Khulna, purchasing electricity from India and transit agreement, demarcating six kilometers unsettled borderline between the two countries, signing of protocol on exchanging enclaves and adversely possessed lands along the common borders or memorandum of understanding, singing of memorandum of understanding on trade liberalization under trade agreements, memorandum of understanding on using renewable energy, using Chittagong and Mongla seaports under transit agreement, three separate protocols on the use of railway and land routes, memorandum of understanding on protecting biodiversity, including tigers, in the Sundarbans, and memorandum of understanding on making provisions viewing the state television programs of the two countries by the two peoples. Besides, the signing of memorandum of understanding on setting up a railway link between Akhaura and Agartala also figured prominently at the meeting agenda.
A competent sources at the foreign ministry said more than 10 agreements and memorandum of understanding might be signed between Bangladesh and India during Manmohan Singh's visit. The accords to be signed are an interim agreement on sharing waters of the Teesta and Feni rivers, an agreement on the management of waters of the common rivers, agreement on transit and transshipment, agreement on cooperation in the power sector, agreement on trade liberalization, agreement on exchanging enclaves, agreement on handing over the adversely possessed lands and agreement on border management.
Water Sharing Pact
Meanwhile diplomatic sources said Indian Water Resources Minister Paban Kumar Bansal will arrive Dhaka on 5 September 2011 and a formal announcement on signing the water sharing agreement on the Teesta and Feni rivers will be made at a meeting of the Joint Rivers Commission in the presence of the minister.
About this agreement, a senior official of the water resources ministry said a 15-year interim water sharing pact will be signed. India has given a proposal to Bangladesh to equally share the Teesta waters Keeping 10 percent of the stream intact for keeping normal the flow of the river. He expressed the hope that another agreement on water sharing of a separate river will also be singed at that time following the Teesta model.
Points of Contention
He said the two countries have some points of contention over the 'guarantee clause' of the proposed Teesta water sharing accord. And it is hoped that Dhaka and New Delhi will arrive at a consensus on the issue before the visit of Manmohan Singh.
On the other hand, Bangladesh has taken a political decision on giving India transit facilities and allowing the country to Chittagong and Mongla seaports. The procession of fixation fees in this regard has remained at the final stage.
In this regard, Prime Minister's Economic Affairs Adviser Dr Mashiur Rahman said Indian good will transported to the northeast region of that country by using Bangladesh's naval, railway and land routes. The concerned departments of the government are working on fixing the fees in this regard. The adviser said cordoning supports are being provided to the departments whenever they face any difficulty in their work.
Prime Minister's Foreign Affairs Adviser Dr Gowher Rizvi said the facilities being developed with India, including the communication sector, will be beneficial to the entire region. Particularly, he said, all the countries will be able to use the transit facilities and the ports.
The source said, according to the rules and regulations of the World Trade Organization, regional and sub-regional cooperation, any interim, short and long term signed memorandum understanding on bilateral interests between government, individuals and organizations is treated as an agreement. Likewise before the agreement, the signed instruments aimed at reaching a decision on any agreement, including negotiations and observations, are treated as understanding.
Implementation and Violation
And at the same time necessary understanding could be reached considering the area and context of the agreement, but there is no legal binding on any bilateral party for implementing or augmenting this understanding. But legal redress could be sought against any aberration in the implementation and violation of the agreement under the existing laws.
It has become evident in field of regional and sub-regional cooperation, including the South Asia, that Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and close neighboring country India and Myanmar have many memorandum of understandings on the issues of communication, exchange of culture, curbing terrorism and other suitable matters. In continuation of this memorandum of understandings, the agreements could be renewed after the periods of 10 or 20 years or even more. Experts said the memorandum of understanding pave the way for arriving at any agreement.
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