Poet & Journalist
Due to political uncertainties and various other reasons, railway connectivity projects between India and Myanmar, as well as India and Bangladesh, have been delayed. As a result, India is now focusing on establishing a new railway link with another neighboring country, Bhutan. This proposed railway project, estimated to cost ₹3,500 crore, will cover a distance of 69 kilometers and connect Kokrajhar in Assam with Gelephu in Bhutan.
For years, traders in West Bengal have relied on exporting lac (gala) to Bangladesh, but recent reductions in exports are raising concerns. Lac is a key industry in Purulia district, West Bengal, where over 30 factories process raw lac into lac sticks. However, there has been a significant drop in demand from Bangladesh. While the domestic market in India remains stable, the slowdown in exports to Bangladesh is causing anxiety among traders in both countries, who are now facing the impact of reduced business.
A meeting of the Joint Rivers Commission between India and Bangladesh is going to be held in March. This year, it is learnt that this meeting will be held in Kolkata. It is to be noted that the Joint River Commission was formed by the two neighboring countries in 1972. Its main objective was to discuss issues like irrigation, flood, dams and cyclone control and other river-related issues, as well as water resource sharing at a technical level. It was formed as part of the India-Bangladesh Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Peace in March 1972.
The students of University of Calcutta have barred some prominent Bangladeshis to join a programme on the eve of the 100th anniversary of the Bengal Library Council of the university.
A group of 685 eminent personalities, including former judges, academicians, bureaucrats and ambassadors, have written an open letter to the people of Bangladesh, urging to follow the path of peace and friendship.
In a protest against the alleged "persecution of minorities" and "ongoing instability," India has temporarily stopped exporting automobile spare parts to Bangladesh. Traders from Delhi's Kashmiri Gate wholesale market have decided not to send these parts to the neighboring country until January 15. As a result, vehicles such as cars, auto-rickshaws, trucks, and public transport in Bangladesh may face significant operational disruptions.