Press reports indicate that Myanmar has withdrawn the war ships and exploration rigs although the meeting of Bangladesh foreign secretary in Yangoon reportedly failed to reach meeting of minds on the contentious issue. This has happened at a time when Bangladesh is suffering from serious energy crisis primarily due to gas supply impediments. Bangladesh is also going for long awaited national election. Moreover second highest leader of Myanmar ruling junta in the recent visit assured Bangladesh government categorically to refrain from drilling in the disputed areas of the Bay of Bengal till issues involved in it are amicably settled through mutual discussion. Further meetings on the issue is due middle of this month in Dhaka. What led Myanmar Government to test the nerves of Bangladesh at this very critical stage? Why the assurance of a power junta leader was broken like this? Observers refuse to rule out possibility similar situation to take place at disputed maritime regions of India and Myanmar. Is it a ploy to divert Bangladesh attention elsewhere during election?

Bangladesh government has also delayed approval of engagement of International Oil Companies for fossil fuel exploration in the Bay of Bengal. India and Myanmar are in much advanced stage in exploration. They have not only engaged IOCs but also discovered several petroleum structures. Bangladesh hibernated and could only initiate positive actions towards the last days of 4party led alliance government when Engr. Mahmudur Rahman as Advisor to Prime Minister Kahleda Zia declared this as one of his priority. He tried his level best within his limited time in the office to develop, fine tune and let out bidding. He also formally protested Indian unilateral actions to lease out some blocks encroaching Bangladesh territorial water. But due to bureaucratic tangles Mahmud failed to announce bidding in his period but n made significant advancement. One of the rare achievements of this Care Taker Government in the wake of serious energy crisis and particularly gas draught in the South Eastern region of Bangladesh was to approve the PSC document, let out tender and complete evaluation of tenders. The document itself was prepared by line professionals and subsequently scanned by international expert and Dr.Kamal Hussein the formulator of mother document in 1974. The document stayed and still stays on various website for opinion.
Following approval of PSC document Petrobangla steeped into formal bidding process, staged a road show at Dhaka. Petrobangla received limited tenders in the face of hostile propaganda and objections of Myanmar and Indian authority. High powered interministrial committee carried out detailed evaluation in a very transparent manner and prepared recommendations for w award. EMRD reviewed it and placed to Purchase Committee for approval. EMRD was told that as no purchase is involved EMRD itself can give approval. But even then after scanning everything again the proposal upon instruction of Chief Advisor was sent to council of advisors for approval. But unfortunately that has been returned to EMRD for further scrutiny.
In the meantime an identified group of non professionals who always oppose any development efforts is conspicuously agitating against leasing out of offshore blocks to IOCs questioning constitutional right of CTG to approve such action. At a period when Bangladesh economic development g is tending to be stalled due to deteriorating gas supply situation can we or should we be so fussy? Are we not acting to the intent of the neighbouring countries to let them proceed unopposed in exploration for Petroleum in the Bay of Bengal? We believe Care Taker Government will read the writing on the wall and take decision without surrendering to the nefarious design of certain quarter to serve neighbours cause.

Meantime let us deal with the situation at hand. Press reports in Bangladeshi newspapers indicate that about 62000 square kilometre of boundary areas of Bangladesh with Myanmar and India have not been demarcated as yet. Myanmar mobilized its naval ships to escort the Drilling rig Ocean Legend 1 carrying ship of Korean Company Daewoo to explore 50 miles south of St Martin Coast It started survey on 1st November 2008.
The press report also reminded that Vice Chairman of ruling Junta General Maung Eyi led a 55 member high powered Myanmar delegation to Bangladesh on a 3 day state visit on 7th October 2008.The delegation among others included Energy Minister Lun Thee, Commerce Minister Tin Naying Thin, Finance Minister Sho Khaand Communication Minster Major General So Tun. This delegation requested Bangladesh Chief Advisor Dr.Fakhruddin Ahmed to exercise his personal initiative to resolve maritime boundary disputes. Later the delegation also held discussions with Foreign Advisor Dr.Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, Commerce Advisor Hussein Zillur Rahman, Communication Advisor Major General (Rtd) Golam Kader and special Assistant to CA on Energy Affairs Dr. M. Tamim.On 8th October 2008 Myanmar Energy Minister during meeting with Dr. M.Tamim categorically assured that Myanmar will not d go for exploration in disputed areas .The dispute will be resolved through mutual discussions. One wonders what actually happended in three weeks which made Myanmar to break the promise and threaten Bangladesh territorial integrity?
Myanmar is reportedly claiming 14 blocks with Bangladesh territory. The total area of these blocks is about 48,025 Square Kilometre. These are blocks 11, 12, 13. 15, 16. 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26 and 27. On the other hand India claims about 31743 Kilometre of Bangladesh territory as their own area. These are at blocks 5, 9, 14, 15, 19,20,24 &25.Three neighbours all claimed blocks 19,20, 24 & 25 as their own territory.
India and Myanmar are at much advanced stage as they have already engaged International Oil Companies to conduct surveys in disputed areas .Bangladesh failed to do it due to submissive foreign policy of all government since Bangabandhu led Awami League Government after Independence. Myanmar has ventured to carryout survey inside Bangladesh territory when Petrobangla proposal to make award of lease of 20 offshore blocks is awaiting final nod of the council of advisors. One can very easily correlate this development. It has become clearer when some of our university teachers have issued joint appeal for not approving the EMRD proposal.

If Bangladesh fail to engage IOcs to commence survey and establish its right then it will fail to register its claim within date line of 2011 and our case to resolve the matter as per UN Sea convention will get weaker.

Although Myanmar has withdrawn its naval vessels and Daewoo has taken back its drilling rig from Bangladesh territory Myanmar have reportedly mobiliged huge forces along Bangladesh Myanmar border. Well there is no way Myanmar authority will venture to attack Bangladesh at this stage .But it may be a ploy to keep our forces engaged in the border during the ensuing election. It won’t be also unwise to think that it is a trial case of other intelligent neighbour to wait and watch Bangladesh response. Bangladesh also reinforced Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) and Bangladesh Navy efforts with the deployment of Bangladesh Army troops at Karkal Bagan of Ramu Upozilla.People of Myanmar do not support this m Myanmar Military Junta. They killed democracy and ignored popular mandate to political Icon Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung Sang Suchie.Myanmar Junta violates human rights and carry out oppression on their own people every now and then. Some Bangladeshis believe that to offset Indian influence we should turn east and find link with China through Myanmar. This they do despite the fact that China sided with occupation Pakistan Army in 1971 and supplied the killers with weapons to kill Bangladesh efforts on liberation. Indians at least helped us in 1971 and Indian Army fought against Pakistan Occupation army alongside with us in liberating Bangladesh. The recent incident only prove that our go east politics is v counter productive.

Fakruddin was seen on TV receiving Burmese military junta’s number two at ZIA violating diplomatic norms. Why was he so keen so please the rulers there?

The next elected government should look into the dubious dealings of this undemocratic government and scrap all unauthorized deals signed at the instruction of foreign countries. It is alleged that this government was brought in by foreign powers to give out the oil and gas blocks in the extremely rich Bay of Bengal to companies like Chevron and Mobil without protecting Bangladesh`s national interests.

The suspicious circumstances under which the PSCs were doled out has brought us to brink of a war. The agents of change are already busy negotiating for lucrative international jobs abroad to escape the wrath of the common people who are surely to question the ulterior motive of this unelected junta imposed by the UN, donor agencies and US and UK.