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The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) decided not to participate in the parliamentary elections held earlier this year. BNP and lobbyist groups failed in their attempt to impose sanctions on Bangladesh on January 4. After failing to hold the 12th National Assembly elections of Bangladesh on January 7, this party became isolated from the people; the distance between their political allies increased and even they engaged in fights with the leaders and workers of their party.
BNP has brought new campaigns to spread this stalemate in different sectors and destabilise the government. Well, it would be wrong to say new; rather, it is a copy-paste version of a movement in the Maldives to boycott Indian products #BoycottIndia.
What is the purpose of this movement?
The possible objectives of this movement of BNP could be:
Hide the failure of the BNP High Command for not participating in the election.
New hope for the BNP given by the lobbyist group who failed to bring sanctions against Bangladesh.
This movement is keeping BNP workers busy.
Putting pressure on the government by creating an artificial crisis in the supply and marketing of imported products.
If the supply of India's goods can be stopped or delayed, BNP's businessmen syndicates can profit by selling the stocked goods to the people at inflated prices, etc.
So, it appears that the people have nothing to gain or desire with this movement. The only aim of the BNP is to overthrow the government on any issue and come to power. We have seen in the past,
* The BNP tried to topple the government by boycotting the vote.
* The BNP tried to fall the Government by fire and terror.
* If there is a flood, the BNP wants the government to fall.
* If there is a road accident, the BNP wants the government to fall.
* If Arab Spring outbreaks in the Middle East, the BNP wants the government to fall.
* When Sri Lanka's economy goes bankrupt, the BNP wants the government to fall.
* If there is a coronavirus epidemic, the BNP wants the government to fall.
* If there are US sanctions, the BNP wants the government to fall.
* If there are visa restrictions, the BNP wants the government to fall.
* The BNP wants the government to fall based on the writings of Chandan Nandi
* When VP Noor's meeting with Israeli intelligence, the BNP dreamed of the fall of the government
* The BNP wants the fall of government by the teleconversation of Tarekzia
* On November 10th, BNP declared the government fall but failed.
* On December 28th, the BNP declared the government fall but failed.
* The BNP often declares the government will fall after Eid, but that never happens.
Fancy Cheats on Social Media:
Anti-national social media groups like Nagorik TV, Pinaki Bhatracharj, etc have started a campaign calling for a boycott of Indian products. They are misleading the general public with various infographics.
Even making some homemade videos with eye-catching content on minors on 'India Out' and 'BoycottIndianProducts', hashtags are promoted by paid advertisements on social media. The young child may not know what is being said to him, these tricks are their old bad habits. I certainly remember that on Independence Day, BNP activists spread a picture of a teenage boy and preached, "We want freedom for fish, meat and rice." Later, the incident was proved to be false.
But it can be said that these do not affect the market; rather, the survey of the land ports shows that the amount of imports from India is increasing in this quarter because the amount of LC opening has increased in this quarter as compared to the last quarter due to the resolution of the dollar problem, so the imports have also increased.
The BNP activists are calling for a boycott of Indian products, giving a list of items and pictures. As an alternative to these, they are calling for the use of various Bangladeshi products. It has been learned that pictures or advertisements of domestic products are being promoted in exchange for large sums of money.
However, Bangladesh brings about 97 types of products from India; there are no substitute products for them in our country, not to mention quantity and quality. Therefore, ordinary people may have to pay the price for these hostile product boycott movements and misguided political activities.
Why import from India?
Importers of Indian goods say there is no variation in imports so far. Moreover, the products being banned in this campaign account for very little of the import-export trade between the two countries.
Due to its geographical location, products are imported more from India to Bangladesh than from any other country. Because the products that are imported from India, if those are brought from other countries, the cost will increase by 20 to 40 percent. In simple words, the import of 14 billion dollars will reach 20 billion dollars with freight charges.
Products can be imported from India in less time than from other countries. Transport cost are also reduced as it can be brought by road. For this reason, India is the first choice of importers for products like onions, chilies or rice, industrial raw materials, etc. In the case of India, if LC opens today, the product will enter by truck tomorrow. Time is of the essence for perishable goods. If the product is released earlier in the market, the business is also better.
What is being imported from India?
India's total exports are 468 billion US dollars a year, of which only 14 billion, or 3.5 percent, come to Bangladesh, so it is unreasonable to think that the boycott of Indian products will affect their economy.
Bangladesh imports from India every year are about 14 billion dollars.
About 97 types of products are imported from India, of which a large sector is occupied by cotton, yarn, and raw materials for the garment sector, or about 3 billion dollars annually. Now think: if the raw material of the RMG sector, our biggest money-generating sector, is imported from other countries excluding India, then it will cost 4.5 billion dollars. Besides, there is a big labour market for Bangladeshis in the clearance, transportation and marketing of goods from India, people are getting daily wages, truck rentals, and warehouse scaffolding.
Oil and other mineral fuels are in second position. About 2 billion dollars a year. Bangladesh's annual demand for diesel is about 46 lakh tons. Eighty percent of it has to be imported. Diesel is used in agriculture, transportation, and power sectors. It is easy, cheap, and in the shortest possible time to import by rail waggons, truck lorries, or pipelines from India. This is a simple calculation.
In the third position is food, namely: onions, milk and dairy products; edible oils, including sunflower and soya bean oil; sugar; honey; soft drinks; chips; biscuits; chocolate and candies, etc. About one and a half billion dollars a year.
As opposed to Indian products, there may be products from my country. In that case, anyone can sell his product in front of the buyer as a local product. So to stay competitive, we have to compete on product quality and price. Buying good products at low prices is related to people's purchasing power. Besides, in terms of entertainment and clothing, our mothers and sisters may like Indian brands; if they want to wear Gadwal, Kanchivaram, Tasar, Baluchari, Kota Doriya, Kota Silk, Nalli Silk, South Kathan, it would be unfair to impose something fabricated instead.
If trucks, buses, motor cars, three-wheelers, motorcycles, bicycles, etc. imported from India are stopped, our transportation system will come to a standstill, and the huge labour market engaged in the spare parts trade and repair sector related to the transportation industry will be threatened.
BNP-Jamaat's Religion Trumppcard:
The tactics of fundamentalists to exploit common people by dividing them on religious grounds are very old. They divide Hindus and Muslims, injecting the poison of disliking for each other. As a result, the ghost of religious opposition does not leave our heads. In 1952, they called the language movement a provocation of India; in 1969, they alleged that Bangabandhu was conspiring with India at Agartala; in 1971, they forced Bengalis from houses claiming enemy property to seek shelter in Indian refugee camps, all were religious trump cards. This boycott movement also targets India, although they accused China, Russia, and France of being supporters of the Awami League before the election and raised a mountain of complaints about President Macron's visit to Dhaka. But BNP is not boycotting China, Russia, or France because it is easy for them to use a religious trump card against India. However, they could not succeed in anything, and they will not be able to do it again here because the people of Bangladesh are religious but not blind. Moreover, the people are not involved with the movement of the BNP, BNP does not think about the people, and they do not understand the priorities of the people. Friendship will be with the people and not with any political party group or government.
BNP still wants to explain that India is a country of Hindu people, Why are 19 crore Muslims living in India, not people of Allah, not the Ummah of the Prophet SM?
The writer is member of the finance and planning affairs sub-committee, Bangladesh Awami League
Messenger/Fameema
