Ready to miss yet another boat?

Personally, I am a big proponent of any regional trade blocs especially when it includes two of our most successful neighbours, namely Thailand and India. Thailand has magically transformed itself in the last 20 years by a mixture of tax liberalisation and cutting bureaucratic red tape to encourage private industry and entrepreneurship. As I recall, the government of Khaleda Zia has quite rightly pushed its "Look East" policy forward since coming to power. As a South Asian, I have to agree with the Thai minister's comments about our so-called western "partners" in development, when he said, "While they promoted free trade, they raised protectionist tariffs... Asian nations should not follow their example."

If Bangladesh had arrived at the talks with the intention of seeking compensation, why didn't anyone at least propose the framework of its terms? This lack of preparedness has not only embarrassed the entire region but has put the credentials of Bangladesh as a mature and constructive trading partner in question. By opting out, are we ready to miss yet another boat to progress as was the case when Bangladesh missed a golden opportunity to technology development by opting out of the International Telecommunication Optical Fibre Consortium in the early nineties?