Dhaka may review the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with New Delhi, Tawheed Hussain, foreign adviser to the interim government of Bangladesh, said on Sunday. He said that if the government feels that the agreements signed with India during Sheikh Hasina's government are not beneficial for Bangladesh, they can be cancelled. At the same time, on the question of extradition of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the foreign adviser said that the government can demand it if necessary. Sheikh Hasina visited India in June this year. 10 agreements were signed between India and Bangladesh during this period. The most debated among these was the Rail Transit Agreement. According to this agreement, India can send passengers and goods from one part to another by rail using the land of Bangladesh. This will benefit Bangladesh to send its goods to Nepal and Bhutan. This will save both countries time and cost. Khaleda Zia's party said that this deal threatens the country's sovereignty. After the agreement with India, Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) started criticizing it. According to the Dhaka Tribune, BNP leaders began to allege that the deal could threaten Bangladesh's independence and sovereignty. He said that the Government of India can send arms and ammunition to North Eastern states by train. If Indian trains enter the country, there will be a security threat. He accused the Hussain government of selling the country to India. Hasina said – it will benefit both countries. After much criticism, the then PM Hasina said that there is already a transit deal between Bangladesh and India. Indian buses go to Dhaka from Tripura via Kolkata. What harm did this do to the country? Now trains will go from Tripura to Kolkata like buses, what will be the harm to us? Hasina said that this deal has been done for the welfare of the people. This will facilitate trade between the two countries. People go to India for study and treatment. They will benefit. Hasina also mentioned Europe. He said that there is no limit anywhere. So is one country sold out to another country? So why are we lagging behind in South Asia? What changed after the deal? After Sheikh Hasina left the country, India has banned all train facilities in Bangladesh. Before the ban, trains were running on five routes between India and Bangladesh. 3 of them are used for passengers and 2 for freight. After reaching the border, the train had to enter Bangladesh with a Bangladeshi engine. After the new deal, Indian trains will be able to cross Bangladesh without any restrictions. According to the BBC, Tawheed Hussain, foreign adviser to the Bangladesh government, criticized him even then. He alleged that Bangladesh will not benefit from this agreement. According to Dhaka Tribune, India pays per tonne transit fee to Bangladesh for freight transport. Bangladesh Railways earned Rs 117 crore (Rs 81 crore) from 982 Indian trains in 2022-23.
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
Yunus Govt Can Abrogate India-Bangladesh Agreements: Minister Said – We Will Consider What Is Not In Our Interest
