Bangladesh cancels Rs 180-crore defence contract with India amid diplomatic strain
Bangladesh has cancelled a big-ticket defence contract valued at Rs 180.25 crore with Kolkata-based public-sector shipbuilder amid the deterioration in relations between New Delhi and Dhaka.The Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (GRSE), operating under the Indian Ministry of Defence, officially informed the stock exchange on Wednesday, stating, "We wish to inform you that the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh has cancelled the order."advertisementThe contract awarded to GRSE was for the construction of an Advanced Ocean-Going Tug for Bangladesh. These specialised vessels are designed for long-distance towing and salvage operations in open waters.
This defence cancellation comes at a time when the relationship between India and Bangladesh is under strain, especially due to the growing closeness of Bangladesh's interim government chief advisor, Muhammad Yunus, to China and his recent controversial remarks, particularly concerning India's northeastern states.The move is also widely perceived as a retaliatory measure following India's announcement to withdraw transshipment facilities for Bangladesh's cargo exports to third countries. This came after Yunus, during a recent visit to China, controversially described the Northeast as "landlocked" and asserted that Dhaka is the "only guardian" of the ocean in the region.advertisement
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
39 minutes ago
- Time of India
Plea in HC against Rayagada collector's 2-month entry ban against Patkar, 24 others
Cuttack: Orissa high court on Friday began hearing a petition challenging an order issued by the Rayagada collector on June 4, which prohibits activist Medha Patkar and 24 others from entering or staying in the district for two months. The ban was imposed ahead of a public meeting scheduled for June 5 at Hatpada field in Sunger under Kashipur block, where Patkar and other activists were expected to protest against proposed bauxite mining in the Sijimali hills. Citing law and order concerns, collector Parul Patwari acted on a report from the SP stating that the presence of the group might disturb public peace and hinder administrative functioning. The matter reached the HC through a petition filed by Dr Randall Sequeira, a Bhawanipatna-based medical practitioner who was among those barred. Sequeira contended that the order severely hampers his ability to provide essential medical services to tribal communities in Rayagada and Kalahandi, where he has been offering free healthcare for years. Appearing for the petitioner, advocate Afraaz Suhail argued that the prohibition was arbitrary, disproportionate and violated constitutional rights. He highlighted that the planned protest was a daylong event, and imposing a two-month district-wide ban not only lacks justification but reflects "non-application of mind" by authorities. Taking note of it, Justice S K Panigrahi sought responses from the Rayagada collector and SP. Additional govt advocate Debashish Nayak was directed to obtain necessary instructions. The matter has been posted for further hearing on Tuesday. The petition asserts that equating peaceful protest in a scheduled area with a threat to public peace is flawed reasoning. It alleges that the administration's approach overlooks the nuanced balance between environmental concerns, indigenous rights and development policies. Sequeira maintained he has no links to any protest and fears the order unjustly tarnishes his record while depriving tribals of crucial healthcare services.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
‘New SOPs, higher spending limit set to empower ULBs'
Lucknow: In a significant step to strengthen the financial and administrative autonomy of urban local bodies (ULBs), the urban development department has increased the spending limits. By revising the standard operating procedure after a gap of four years, the department has made provisions to provide additional flexibility and authority to nagar palikas (city councils) and nagar panchayats (town councils). "Increasing their spending limit, the govt has given the authority to nagar panchayats to undertake works up to Rs 1 crore while nagar palikas can take up works up to Rs 2 crore. Their spending limit was capped at Rs 40 lakh so far," an official said. To uphold the integrity of urban development projects, the revised SOP mandates a shared accountability framework. In cases of substandard construction or measurement discrepancies, 50% of the financial recovery will be made from the contractor and the remaining 50% from the engineers and administrative officers concerned. The recovery process will be overseen by the district magistrate and, if required, recovery would be done from the erring contractors and companies by attaching their properties as per the revenue recovery code and laws. The newly introduced SOP also paves way to acclerate the pace of development with the help of latest technology and tools. Sharing an example, a senior officer from the department said that a method that encourages recycling of old debris and bitumen for road construction would be followed. Urban bodies have been instructed to maintain ward-wise road directories, complete documentation, and conduct GIS mapping of infrastructure for long-term monitoring and project execution. Principal secretary, urban development, Amrit Abhijat said that the SOP and reforms notified recently would not only enhance the financial independence of local bodies but also improve the quality, transparency, and effectiveness of urban governance.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Toll collecting firm under scanner for evading stamp duty worth Rs 63 cr
Lucknow: A private company engaged in collecting toll on the national highway in eastern UP is under scrutiny for duping the local administration to the tune of crores. The fraudulent activity was detected more than two years after the private entity was awarded the contract for collecting the toll. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now According to officials, a company engaged to collect money from motor vehicle owners for using the national highway stretch in Bhadohi did not pay the required stamp duty to the local administration. Roped in to manage the toll plaza over national highway 19, which connects eastern UP with Bihar and onwards, the company was supposed to pay a sum of about Rs 63 crore to the stamp and registration department as duty. The charges were incurred for taking the land on a 15-year-long lease to collect the toll from road users. The agreement was signed between the stakeholders in March 2023, said officials. However, it was later detected that only Rs 100 was paid as stamp duty to the state coffers. According to the officials, a complaint case has been filed before the local magistrate to initiate action and prosecute the offenders.
