Diplomatic Correspondent :
Speakers at a conference on Wednesday said, Bangladesh could be beneficiary to Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) initiatives, and China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) because it is center-point of South Asian region and China.
The speakers said this at the COSATT (Consortium of South Asian Think Tanks) Regional Conference titled “Importance of BRI and BBIN for South Asia” at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) in the capital.
The BIISS organised the two-day long conference with the assistance of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) of Singapore.
Major General (retd) Dipankar Benarjee from India, Purushottam Ojha from Nepal, Professor Gamini Keerawella, Christian Echle from Singapore, Professor Dr Mustafizur Rahman, Distinguished Fellow of Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD), from Bangladesh spoke in the conference, among others.
Professor Dr Mustafizur Rahman said, BRI and BBIN have enormous opportunity and potential for Bangladesh.
But if we cannot take advantage of these potentials within next 10-15 years, we will be bypassed, he said..
So, Bangladesh needs to pay more attention to exploit the opportunity, he said.
The tow day-long conference five sessions where researchers, retired army and civil officers from home and abroad are scheduled to present twelve presentations.
In the first three sessions on the first-day, speakers noted
that connectivity initiatives in the present era are considered as a significant prerequisite for economic development.
South Asia lags far behind due to cross-linked political feuds among China, India and Pakistan, they mentioned.
However, strong political will and timely political decision of the leadership of the concerning countries can change the scenario, they continued.
Purushottam Ojha, former secretary of the ministry of Commerce & Supplies of Nepal said the South Asian countries trade less among them than they do with far countries like Congo or Tanzania.
If the connectivity and opportunities are increased, the economic cooperation will be increased among the countries in this region, he said.
Dr Nishchal N. Pandey, Director of Center for South Asian Studies-Nepal said BRI and BBIN initiatives are very much important for this region.
If these initiatives are implemented, there will be revolutionary change in the regional connectivity which will bring economic development of this region, he said.
Major General (retd) Dipankar Benarjee, Member of the Forum of Strategic Initiatives of New Delhi said SAARC is going to be dead, but the South Asian nations have to increase regional communication in any means.
Because it is not possible to accelerate commerce except regional communication, he noted.
Former ambassador of Bangladesh and current regional integration, South Asian region advisor to the World Bank Tariq A Karim said BBIN was possible as the relation between Bangladesh and India was developed.
He said SAARC is not going to be active until the India-Pakistan problem is not resolved as SAARC charter requires unanimity.
If two major countries are not on the same page, then how can it revive? He questioned.
Speakers at a conference on Wednesday said, Bangladesh could be beneficiary to Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) initiatives, and China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) because it is center-point of South Asian region and China.
The speakers said this at the COSATT (Consortium of South Asian Think Tanks) Regional Conference titled “Importance of BRI and BBIN for South Asia” at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) in the capital.
The BIISS organised the two-day long conference with the assistance of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) of Singapore.
Major General (retd) Dipankar Benarjee from India, Purushottam Ojha from Nepal, Professor Gamini Keerawella, Christian Echle from Singapore, Professor Dr Mustafizur Rahman, Distinguished Fellow of Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD), from Bangladesh spoke in the conference, among others.
Professor Dr Mustafizur Rahman said, BRI and BBIN have enormous opportunity and potential for Bangladesh.
But if we cannot take advantage of these potentials within next 10-15 years, we will be bypassed, he said..
So, Bangladesh needs to pay more attention to exploit the opportunity, he said.
The tow day-long conference five sessions where researchers, retired army and civil officers from home and abroad are scheduled to present twelve presentations.
In the first three sessions on the first-day, speakers noted
that connectivity initiatives in the present era are considered as a significant prerequisite for economic development.
South Asia lags far behind due to cross-linked political feuds among China, India and Pakistan, they mentioned.
However, strong political will and timely political decision of the leadership of the concerning countries can change the scenario, they continued.
Purushottam Ojha, former secretary of the ministry of Commerce & Supplies of Nepal said the South Asian countries trade less among them than they do with far countries like Congo or Tanzania.
If the connectivity and opportunities are increased, the economic cooperation will be increased among the countries in this region, he said.
Dr Nishchal N. Pandey, Director of Center for South Asian Studies-Nepal said BRI and BBIN initiatives are very much important for this region.
If these initiatives are implemented, there will be revolutionary change in the regional connectivity which will bring economic development of this region, he said.
Major General (retd) Dipankar Benarjee, Member of the Forum of Strategic Initiatives of New Delhi said SAARC is going to be dead, but the South Asian nations have to increase regional communication in any means.
Because it is not possible to accelerate commerce except regional communication, he noted.
Former ambassador of Bangladesh and current regional integration, South Asian region advisor to the World Bank Tariq A Karim said BBIN was possible as the relation between Bangladesh and India was developed.
He said SAARC is not going to be active until the India-Pakistan problem is not resolved as SAARC charter requires unanimity.
If two major countries are not on the same page, then how can it revive? He questioned.
