[🇧🇩] Is it a Transit or Corridor? Will it be used for economic or Military purpose?

[Saif]

You are too kind bhai. Look at what Khaleda Zia stated.

She is smarter than I thought. She could clearly distinguish between Transit and Corridor. More power to her.

 

[Saif]

বাংলাদেশের ভেতর দিয়ে চলবে ভারতের রেল - সমস্যাগুলো হবে যেখানে

 

[Saif]

New Rail Lines for North-East via Bangladesh to by pass 'Chicken's Neck'

New rail lines for Northeast via Bangladesh to bypass 'Chicken's Neck' | Kolkata News - Times of India

India plans to develop an alternative railway network through Bangladesh, leveraging the India-Bangladesh Trade Agreement of 1980. The initiative aims

timesofindia.indiatimes.com

 

[Saif]

Proposed India-Bangladesh rail link sparks mix of optimism and backlash

South Asian neighbors signed an agreement for a first-of-its-kind railway link during Prime Minister Hasina’s visit to New Delhi in late June - Anadolu Ajansı

www.aa.com.tr

Proposed India-Bangladesh rail link sparks mix of optimism and backlash
South Asian neighbors signed an agreement for a first-of-its-kind railway link during Prime Minister Hasina's visit to New Delhi in late June
Faisal Mahmud |
02.07.2024 - Update : 03.07.2024

FILE PHOTO
​

• South Asian neighbors signed an agreement for a first-of-its-kind railway link during Prime Minister Hasina's visit to New Delhi in late June​
• The plan has kicked off a firestorm of criticism, with Bangladeshi opposition parties going as far as labelling it 'anti-state,' charges the government denies​
• Bangladeshi analysts say Dhaka has a lot to gain from the agreement but suggest more discussions for better 'benefit-sharing'​

One of the significant agreements inked during Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's recent visit to India was about a first-of-its-kind railway link between the South Asian neighbors.

Both governments hailed the landmark project, which will connect India's northeastern parts to Bangladesh, as a major step in enhancing regional connectivity.

However, the plan has kicked off a firestorm of criticism in Bangladesh, with opposition parties going as far as labelling it "anti-state."

Hasina's government has dismissed the claims, asserting that the rail link will boost economic development.

For India, the link through Bangladesh offers an alternative route to the Siliguri Corridor – a narrow passage also known as Chicken's Neck, which the two sides utilize as part of a 1980 trade agreement.

Bangladesh, in turn, would gain facilitated access for its products to reach Nepal and Bhutan through the network, which would also have a goods train service.

Discussions about the railway link were happening for quite some time.

Right before Hasina's late-June visit to New Delhi, Indian Railways revealed to local news outlet The Telegraph its plans for a new 1,275-kilometer (792-mile) rail track – 861 kilometers (535 miles) across Bangladesh, Nepal (202 kilometers or 125 miles), and northeast India (212 kilometers or 131 miles).

Indian officials confirmed that the operational network will cover these distances, allowing India to transport goods and passengers to its northeastern states, while enabling Bangladesh to transport goods and passengers to Nepal via Indian territory.

Why the uproar?

Concerns raised by opposition parties in Bangladesh center on allowing Indian Railways to operate within the country, which they contend could compromise national security.

They also criticize the current arrangement for lacking adequate transit and transshipment fees, arguing that India is the primary beneficiary.

Speaking to Anadolu, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, senior joint secretary general of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), claimed the railway would "weaken the country's security and intelligence system."

"It's their train and their goods. They will obviously deploy their own security to protect those," said Rizvi.

"That basically means you are allowing Indian security personnel to enter Bangladesh on a regular basis."

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, secretary general of BNP, said at a press conference on June 26 that the railway deal is not only "bad" but also "dangerous" for Bangladesh.

"What does Bangladesh gain by allowing a corridor through its territory, instead of India utilizing the Chicken's Neck?" he said.

"The entire benefit seems to be India's."

Located in a strategic nook in northeastern India, the Chicken's Neck is the narrowest point of the subcontinent, nestled between Nepal to the north and Bangladesh to the south, and just about 170 kilometers (105 miles) from the border with China.

This link through Bangladesh will help India avoid hundreds of kilometers of extra distance to connect with its seven northeastern states through the Chicken's Neck, said Alamgir.

"What will Bangladesh get in return? Transit and transshipment fees? How much are those? The government never clarifies those," he added.

The proposed railway deal comes in the backdrop of an "anti-India" campaign ongoing in Bangladesh since its general elections in January.

The campaign was fueled by claims that Hasina's victory was made possible by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's support, with New Delhi helping ease considerable pressure from the West, particularly the US, for Dhaka to hold free, fair and inclusive elections.

What has the government said?

Hasina has asserted that her government would never do something to harm the country's interests.

Asked about the potential security threat at a press conference after her return from New Delhi, she said: "Should Bangladesh keep its doors closed? Look at Europe, where there are no borders."

Hasina said Bangladesh is an independent and sovereign nation, adding that she has "opened all communication channels, and the people will reap the benefits from it."

Aaqib Md. Shatil, a Cambridge-based sustainable development expert, believes that "Bangladesh has a lot to gain" from the railway deal.

India has committed to extend transit facilities for Bangladeshi goods to Nepal and Bhutan, countries where Bangladesh exported goods worth more than $50 million from July 2023 to April 2024, he explained.

"Bangladesh has a market to capture in both countries. If we cooperate with each other, this connectivity will help Bangladeshi businesses export more goods in the coming years," he told Anadolu.

"Moreover, the most significant part, in my view, is the Indian commitment to Bangladesh regarding energy connectivity with Nepal and Bhutan," said Shatil.

Nepal alone has hydroelectric potential of 72,000 megawatts, while the highest amount of electricity Bangladesh has ever generated is 16,477 megawatts, he said.

"Bangladesh's reliance on imported fossil fuels is growing. If Bangladesh can leverage this energy connectivity, there is huge potential for Bangladesh to import cheaper hydroelectricity from Nepal and curb its dependence on fossil fuel imports," said Shatil.

For Mustafizur Rahman, an economist at the Bangladeshi think tank Center for Policy Dialogue, there is no doubt that India stands to gain considerably more from the rail deal.

India will be able to significantly cut transport costs to its northeastern states, he said.

To alleviate concerns and balance things out, Rahman suggested the two sides should discuss a "benefit-sharing arrangement" and find ways to ensure that Dhaka gets as much out of the agreement as New Delhi.​

 

[Saif]

After 55 years, India will inaugurate a new railway line with Bangladesh to save its ‘Chicken’s Neck’ from China | Business Insider India

India is saving its ‘Chicken’s Neck’ from China as it inaugurates a new railway line with Bangladesh after 55 years.

www.businessinsider.in

After 55 years, India will inaugurate a new railway line with Bangladesh to save its 'Chicken's Neck' from China
Prabhjote Gill
Dec 16 2020 09:00 IST

​

• India and Bangladesh are set to inaugurate a new railway line that will resume trans-border railway connectivity between the two countries after 55 years.​
• It will also serve as a way for India to bolster its connectivity to Chicken's Neck, also called the Siliguri Corridor, that connects the rest of the country to the eight northeastern states.​
• The slender transit zone is flanked by China, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan.​

India and Bangladesh are set to inaugurate a new railway line that will connect West Bengal to Chilahati across the border on December 16. On paper, the route will serve to improve trade and trans-border railway connectivity will resume between the two countries after a gap of five decades.

But, on the ground, the 75-kilometre long railway line will bring the rest of India a little closer to the 'Chicken's Neck', also called the Siliguri Corridor, to counter China's growing aggressiveness in the North East.

According to the Lowly Institute, it's integral that India saves its Chicken's Neck from China — especially considering that it's already locked in a face-off against the dragon in Eastern Ladakh.

The thin stretch of land gets its name from being only 22-kilometres wide. And, it will be less than 100 kilometres from the new railway line.
The narrow bridge of land is the only connection between the rest of India and its eight north-eastern states. At the same time, the slender transit zone is flanked by China, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan.

'Chicken's Neck' is a point of strategic anxiety for India

In the past, Nath-La Pass and Doklam, have served as the stage for the two Asian giants to battle their claims. And, for China to take over Chicken's Neck, it would only have to move its army inland by 130 kilometres.

The strategic anxiety around the region is only heightened by China's continued road and airstrip construction activities on its side of the border, which could allow it to mobilise rapidly in the region.

Cognizant of the threat, the area is constantly patrolled by a number of entities including the Indian Army, the Assam Rifles, the Border Security Force, and the West Bengal Police. India's Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) is also known to closely monitor activity in the region as well.

India is also looking at fast-tracking the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India Nepal (BBIN) initiative which will boost connectivity among the South Asian neighbours through rail and road.​

 

[Bilal9]

বাংলাদেশের ভেতর দিয়ে চলবে ভারতের রেল - সমস্যাগুলো হবে যেখানে

Whatever benefit we Bangladeshis are supposed to get by connectivity to Nepal or Bhutan is nothing compared to India's huge benefit to connect with Agartala via Bangladesh or even bypass Chicken's Neck via rail to Cooch Behar from WB.

India gains strategic geopolitical benefit (which they desperately want) with the looming cloud of conflict with China in Arunachal and in the border near Sikkim - but all we gain is angering China, to the complete detriment of investments and economic uplift help in our country from China. Our need for economic development CANNOT BE SACRIFICED TO HELP INDIAN GEOPOLITICAL ADVANTAGE.

Like the esteemed lawyer said, Bangladeshis will not tolerate these unfair, arbitrary and one-sided agreements with the incumbent Indian govt. Agreements must be mutually beneficial and equally so, based on mutual respect for sovereignty.

But current Indian foreign policy with almost all neighbors is highly immature, not farsighted and nothing to write home about, so I'm not holding my breath...

 

[Saif]

Since Hasina has granted road and rail transit to India to bypass Chicken Neck, it will reduce Bangladesh's strategic advantage vis a vis India. We need a strong nationalistic government backed by peoples mandate to revoke the transit treaty with India.

 

[Bilal9]

Since Hasina has granted road and rail transit to India to bypass Chicken Neck, it will reduce Bangladesh's strategic advantage vis a vis India. We need a strong nationalistic government backed by peoples mandate to revoke the transit treaty with India.

Bhai Saif, this is not a sustainable scenario, running Indian infra through Bangladesh, as much of a wish it is from the current Indian administration.

No one (least of all Bangladeshi authorities) can assure the security of the goods carried through this infra, much less the infra itself. One mis-step and things will quickly escalate, witness the current minor fracas about quotas in Dhaka which has now turned into a regime-change scenario in Bangladesh.

Indians have not thought this through....Bangladesh is not India.

India cannot handle another Vietnam in its Eastern flanks. Especially with the current unemployment, debt-to-GDP ratio and inflation scenario at home.

Even with highly trained RAB and shoot-at-sight orders in Bangladesh, the govt. cannot control the situation, and Indian govt. thinks it can handle things by deploying the Indian Army, the Assam Rifles, the Border Security Force, and the West Bengal Police.

I am amazed at the rank immaturity.