Dhaka, April 17 (IANS) Several projects in Bangladesh aimed at enhancing trade and connectivity with neighbouring countries, including India, have been facing unprecedented delays under the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, local media reported on Thursday.
“The current government is not giving special priority to projects involving India. Instead, more focus is being placed on scrutinising why such projects were initiated in the first place, which has led to slower implementation of these projects,” an official of the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) of the Planning Ministry told Bangladesh’s leading daily, The Business Standard, on the condition of anonymity.
The implementation of projects, particularly those focused on easing connectivity with India, is progressing more slowly than ever, the newspaper reported, quoting planning ministry sources.
The projects include the Bangladesh Regional Connectivity Project-1, which aims to increase trade with India, Bhutan, and Nepal; the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) Project, which aims to boost trade with neighbouring countries; and the Accelerating Transport and Trade Connectivity in Eastern South Asia project.
Reports suggest that the interim government under Yunus has decided not to implement at least 11 projects in Bangladesh that were to be funded by the Indian loans.
Relations between India and Bangladesh have nosedived since the fall of Awami League government led by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in a violent mass uprising, last August.
The interim government led by Yunus has been frequently accused of engaging in anti-India rhetoric and persecution of minorities.
Last week, citing “significant congestion” at its airports and ports, India said that it terminated a trans-shipment facility available to Bangladesh that allowed Dhaka to export cargo to third countries using Indian customs stations. The facility introduced by New Delhi was aimed at enhancing regional connectivity and promoting trade between Bangladesh and third countries by using India as a transit corridor.
“The Transshipment facility extended to Bangladesh had over a period of time resulted in significant congestion at our airports and ports. Logistical delays and higher costs were hindering our own exports and creating backlogs. The facility, therefore, has been withdrawn w.e.f. April 8, 2025. To clarify, these measures do not impact Bangladesh exports to Nepal or Bhutan transiting through Indian territory,” Randhir Jaiswal, said during last week’s media briefing.
The move came after controversial statements made by Yunus during his visit to China last month.
“The seven states of India, the eastern part of India, are called the Seven Sisters. They are a landlocked region of India. They have no way to reach out to the ocean. We are the only guardian of the ocean for all this region. So this opens up a huge possibility. This could be an extension of the Chinese economy,” Yunus said during a high-level roundtable discussion on sustainable infrastructure and energy in Beijing.
–IANS
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