KALADAN NEWS
Dated: Thursday,
January 13, 2005
Bangladesh
East
Policy Observed
Chittagong, January13: The
Bangladesh Parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Ministry observed the
“Look East” policy on 10th January
2005 and put commentary that it has been on paper, not in practice.
So, it asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to initiate steps to cement ties
with the Far Eastern countries.
According to a report of The
Daily Star on January 11, the Committee expresses dissatisfaction over the
present status of relations with, Japan,
Burma,
Thailand,
particularly with China
at a meeting. It blast the ministry’s handling of the Taiwan
issue.
Referring to the move to open an
office of Taiwan
in Dhaka last year which was later shelved, said a
ruling party lawmaker at the meeting "it is unfortunate that relations
with China
have deteriorated over the Taiwan
issue."
About the “Look East” policy,
members of the committee said there was no real progress in the government’s
move to strengthen relations with the far-east countries.
China
had shown interest in a planned cross-country highway connecting Bangladesh
with Kunming
in China
through Burma
and Thailand,
but virtually there was no response from Bangladesh,
the parliamentary body said.
Though Communication Minister Nazamal Huda and Burma
transport Minister Major General Hla Myint Swe laid the foundation stone for the Asian highway,
nearly one year passed, in practical there is no construction works are being
started.
There was a cloud of
misunderstanding and cooling of relations between Bangladesh
and Burma
over diplomatic lapses that shocking act of a Bangladeshi Survey Engineering
team had returned home immediately without any response from Burma
side on 25th September, 2004.
The new administration body of Burma
imposed restriction on movement of businessmen in the middle of December 2004,
mostly upsetting the border trade between the two neighboring countries, Burma
and Bangladesh.
It is also alleged that since the very beginning of the border trade,
non-cooperation from the Burmese authority has been affecting normal trade
relations of the two countries, sources said.##
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