Brussels, April 5, EuAsiaNews -- The Adviser for Foreign Affairs (Foreign Minister) in the caretaker government of Bangladesh, Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, has stressed that there can be no reversal to the excellent ties developing between Bangladesh and India.

"Both Mr. Pranab Mukherjee (Indian Froeign Minister) and I have worked very hard to put our relations on a trajectory , we like to say, from where there should be no reversal,'' he told EuAsiaNews in an exclusive interview in Brussels Friday evening.

"We are continuing to negotiate on all issues of mutual interest but at the political levels we have excellent relationship,'' he stressed.

Chowdhury noted that on Friday, Bangladesh purchased about 500,000 tonnes of rice from India "at a price which we believe to be a friendship price."

"We believe in very close relationship within the South Asian structure. We believe that we are able to achieve that South Asia, ASEAN, Japan, China will be the four birds that can fly together in the paradigm of the flying wheel,'' he added.

Earlier, speaking at the prestigious Belgian think-tank ‘Egmont' he said elections in Bangladesh will be held before the end of December of this year.

"It is our primary goal, indeed our constitutional obligation to hold free, fair and credible elections. The response from all political parties and the public has been very positive,'' said Chowdhury who is currently on a visit to Brussels for talks with EU officials.

Over 50 million voters have been registered and these voters' cards which are the most sophisticated in the world will also serve as national identity cards , he said.

"So far everything is on track. What is left, however, is a dialogue with the political parties ,'' he said adding that the caretaker government intends to begin the political dialogue within two weeks.

"What in Kenya and what in Pakistan cost so many lives, we want to achieve this without bombs being going off and without shots being fired. This can be achieved through negotiations and dialogue,'' he told the large audience of diplomats, Members of the European Parliament, academics and journalists.

The foreign minister of Bangladesh said the state of emergency proclaimed in January 2007 will not be lifted before the elections.

" The state of emergency is necessary for the government to remain in office, that is the technical, legal necessity, otherwise the government can under the constitution only remain in office for three months," Chowdhury said.

He, however, declined to say if detained former prime ministers Sheikh Hasina and Begum Khaleda Zia would be freed before the polls, as requested by their parties, but noted that arrested leaders would play a role in the political dialogue.

In a brilliant and articulate speech on "Democracy in Bangladesh : a way forward,'' Chowhdury, who has a long distinguished diplomatic career behind him, condemned extremism and terrorism as "the twin dark forces of our time."

"Over the last 14 months, Bangladesh has been an oasis of calm in a volatile region. Not a single bomb has gone off in the country, not a single shot has been fired in anger by the state,'' he said.

Dwelling on the history of the large 150-million South Asian nation, he said "Bangladeshis unlike like many other parts of the South Asian subcontinent constituted largely an egalitarian society, feudalism having been eliminated by reforms and legislation over half-a-century ago."

"But unfortunately the political institutions were unable to contain the fierce pluralist spirit among the population. The politicians solely concentrated on the capture of power."

Meanwhile, Chowdhury met EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana Friday and discussed the current situation in Bangladesh and in the region and EU-Bangladesh relations.

Solana in a statement said he hopes that Bangladesh will continue the implementation of priority political reforms and commended the government for the progress achieved so far.

On Thursday, he also held talks with EU Commissioner for external relations, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, and inaugurated an exhibition on Bangladeshi paintings at the premises of the European Commission.

Nawab Khan

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