India and Bangladesh are expected to sign three pacts related to counter-terrorism and organised crime during prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit here from January 10, a step that could help address India’s concerns about north-east insurgents taking shelter in that country.

The two countries will sign a few other agreements and MoUs, including one in power sector, during the three-day visit that is expected to give a push to the bilateral relations in the backdrop of recent positive atmospherics.

Prime minister Manmohan Singh and Hasina will review the entire gamut of bilateral relations and discuss ways to enhance these in mutually-beneficial manner, government sources said here.

The two countries are expected to sign an Agreement on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters, Agreement on Transfer of Sentenced Persons and a pact on Combating International Terrorism, Organised Crime and Illicit Drug Trafficking during the visit, which will be Hasina’s first trip to India after taking over in January last year.

The agreements are aimed at addressing India’s concerns with regard to north-east insurgents taking shelter in Bangladesh as a legal framework would be in place to transfer them, including those having undergone sentences in that country.

India has a lot of expectations on this front from the Hasina government. Dhaka has already taken a number of discreet measures to deny safe haven to north-east insurgents, which is reflected by the arrest of some top ULFA leaders like Arabinda Rajkhowa.

India and Bangladesh have agreed to develop mechanisms to hasten the process of verification of nationality of prisoners lodged in jails of either country, particularly of those who have completed their sentences, to enable their early repatriation, the sources said.

Since the Hasina government came to power, the goodwill for India in Dhaka has increased and both sides are working to address their differences and promote cooperation in a wide range of areas, including commerce, railways and power.

Hasina’s visit is expected to be beneficial in this regard. During the visit, the Indian side is expected to announce a credit line of up to $500 million. India has been looking “sensitively” at issues relating to tariffs on goods from Bangladesh and has made a provision for duty-free import of eight million pieces of garments.

Benefits under the Least Developed Country (LDC) are also being extended to Bangladesh, as a result of which the list of sensitive items for import has been pruned considerably.

In the energy sector, the two countries will sign a power exchange MoU providing for import and export of electricity amounting to over 900 million units per annum depending on availability, need and price, the sources said here.

The price and various modalities for exchange of power will be worked out later for the MoU under which about 250 MW of power is expected to be exchanged initially and eventually it could touch 1,000 MW.

Energy-deficient Bangladesh will receive the power from Indian grids in West Bengal and Tripura. The two sides are also working to ink an agreement on Teesta River water sharing.

POLITICAL FLASH BACK

Dhaka, Jan 3 (IANS) Bangladesh opposition leader Khaleda Zia ?must not prejudge? the outcome of the summit level talks Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will have in New Delhi next week, a Dhaka daily said Sunday.
?Patriotism cannot be the monopoly of a group or party,? The Daily Star said in an editorial, adding: ??which is why we believe Begum Zia should have been more circumspect in her remarks before a partisan audience.?

Hasina is expected to hold talks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan singh Jan 11.

Zia?s threat of launching an agitation should Hasina sign pacts with India that go against the national interest has triggered an animated media debate.

Taking an opposite stand, New Age newspaper observed that stand taken by the Hasina government on some of the bilateral issues ?appears to be more favourable to India?s interest than Bangladesh?s?.

?The people expect the prime minister to sort out certain lingering disputes between Bangladesh and India during her upcoming visit?,? New Age said, listing ?two or more relatively recent issues – namely New Delhi?s plan to construct a dam and a barrage on the upstream of the river Barak at Tipaimukh and request for transit facilities, and the link with the Asian Highway?.

It applauded Zia?s rhetorical call at a rally that she and her party workers would ?welcome Hasina with flowers at the airport? should she sign pacts favourable to Bangladesh. This approach of Zia, it said was ?refreshing and positive?.

However, The Daily Star observed: ?The unvarnished truth here is that the opposition is presuming a little too much and clearly expects the prime minister to resolve all outstanding issues with India to our satisfaction with just one visit.

?The position the BNP (Bangladesh Nationalist Party) chairperson has taken is thus quite indefensible, given that she is patently prejudging the outcome of the talks between the Bangladesh and Indian heads of government,? The Daily Star said.

Questioning the performance of former prime minister Zia, the newspaper said the issues raised at a public rally should have been raised and debated in parliament that the opposition has been boycotting.

?Such obstructionist politics has constantly undermined the country,? the editorial said.

Urging a ?re-think? on the part of the opposition, the editorial said: ?By threatening to go for an agitation on the streets, the former prime minister has deeply disappointed and embarrassed the country. The extent to which such a position can undermine democracy and push the country toward chaos can only be imagined?.

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To ensure a reasonable price to growers Bangladesh has withdrawn a ban on the export of raw jute with immediate effect amid protests by importers, in an effort .

“The ban has been lifted to boost income of the jute sector and ensure the growers get a reasonable price,” said Saifuddin Majumder of the ministry of jute and textile.

Bangladesh imposed the ban early in December, citing poor yields following an erratic monsoon. But the move displeased jute farmers as prices of raw jute fell in local markets, officials said.

Germany, one of main jute importers from Bangladesh, also opposed the ban, saying car plants using “staple” fibre from jute would face difficulties due to Dhaka’s decision.

Car makers Mercedes, Volkswagen, Ford and Opel in Germany use staple fibre produced from jute for the insulation of doors.

Bangladesh, the world’s largest jute growing country, produces around 5.5 million bales of jute each year.

“We insist Bangladesh (should) continue its policy (of exporting jute) to keep foreign investors happy and avoid any confusion,” said Mohammad Saiful Islam, president of the Bangladesh-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Bangladesh earns nearly USD 350 million annually by exporting raw jute and jute goods of which more than 20% comes from Germany.

Germany is the second-biggest export destination for Bangladesh after the United States and the total investment of Germany in Bangladesh is about USD 1 billion, officials said.

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