All across the world, different people hold different opinions concerning various aspects and phenomena that take place in every area of the world’s administration, development and changes, be it political, social, economical or environmental. These changes come as a result of the variations in belief that these people hold. A person’s belief is molded by either the environment in which he/she lives or the inner person and character in him, which nurture one’s own perception, prejudice, like or dislike towards the environment around him.
In this assignment, I am going to focus on development steps and changes in Bangladesh which is my area of concentration, and how different people in the same region would look at the changes based on their belief, character and personality. Politics for example is one of the most sensitive issues whose debates and misunderstandings do not end not only in Bangladesh alone but also in many other parts of the Middle East and the world at large (Ahmed 214). This leads to a lot of conflicts, misunderstandings and conferences held in attempts to solve these situations and bring in peace between the conflicting parties. In Bangladesh for example, such a phenomenon took place just recently which has led to some visible developments, when the Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, visited Bangladesh in a highly anticipated visit, as the two governments looked forward to sigh a number of treaties and agreements. One of the biggest disagreements that have stood between Bangladesh and India pertains sharing of waters especially Teesta and Feni Rivers (Riaz 43).
In this anticipated agreement, India had hoped to acquire road and rail rights for transit of their goods from shore for easier and more efficient transport to the states in the north eastern states. In return, India offered to scrap the Indian duties imposed on Bangladesh transit goods. Going by this meeting, different people held different opinions concerning the meeting of the two prime ministers, India’s Manmohan Singh and Bangladeshi Sheikh Hasina Wajed. For example, the converts held that held that the treaties between the two states was important since it would bring unity among them and cease the cold war between the two countries, on political basis. They also held in their opinion that opening up the 15 roads and railway lines for Indian government to transport its products efficiently to the north eastern states would enhance political development for both states, since India would in return remove the transit duties to Bangladesh’s products to shore by a considerable amount, thus enhancing economic growth in both of these states. It would also see the realization of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s dream, who was the first Bangladeshi president who in 1974 signed a treaty with the Indian government to end the political rivalry between the two countries and promote friendship which would see the two states economically and politically prosper (Karlekar 135).
Liberalists on the other hand hold a different opinion concerning the visit by the Indian Prime Minister to Bangladesh. To start with, most of them maintain that India owes Bangladesh an apology and following the Indian’s government under the Prime Minister Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s attack on the Muslims in the north eastern part of the country. For this reason, many tend to overlook the efforts both governments are taking but rather prefer that both countries continue with their business independent of each other. This will consequently lead to an obvious distance between the two countries (Lewis 211).
WORKS CITED
Ahmed, Raffiudin. Religion identity and politics: essays on Bangladesh. London: Intl Academic Pub, 2002. Print.
Lewis, David. Bangladesh: Politics, Economy and Civil Society. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011. Print.
Karlekar, Hiranmay. Bangladesh: The next Afghanistan? London: SAGE, 2006. Print.
Riaz, Ali. God Willing: The Politics of Islamism in Bangladesh. New York: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2004. Print.
