NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today assured Bangladesh that India would do nothing inimical to its interests on the issue of waters and said he intends to take the Indo-Bangla Land Boundary Agreement to Parliament for ratification.
Singh, who met Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni, told her that the government is seeking a national consensus on the Teesta river water-sharing issue.
Singh reiterated to Moni “India’s vision on water resources and assured that nothing inimical to Bangladesh’s interests would be done. He suggested that Bangladesh join a stakeholder in the Tipaimukh project”, official sources said.
The issue of the land boundary agreement, which also envisages swapping of each other’s territories spread across 161 adversely-held conclaves, was also raised and Singh recognized that India is to ratify it and said “we intend to take to Parliament”, the sources said.
On the issue of Teesta water-sharing pending since September, 2011 he said the government is seeking a national consensus on the matter while noting that water continues flowing to Bangladesh and data- sharing in this regard is also taking place regularly, sources said.
The Teesta water-sharing deal was scuppered by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in September, 2011 by her last-minute opposition and her pulling out of the Prime Minister’s entourage to Dhaka on an official visit.
Moni also met Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley to ensure his party’s support in the smooth sailing of the LBA.
Speaking separately to mediapersons, Moni, when asked if Jaitley held out a categorical assurance to her about BJP backing the land boundary agreement, said he told her that he would consult his party colleagues and firm up a response.
Replying to a question about LBA, she said “I thought I have got a very positive response from both the Indian Prime Minister and the BJP leader”.
Answering a question about BJP’s stand on land boundary deal, she said “sometimes domestic political compulsions does not allow one to see the larger picture. But I think that across the board, all political parties in India should support the land boundary agreement”.
“We must be able to resolve these two issues (Teesta and Land Boundary deal) and put them behind us. We now have a good opportunity to do so and it will be good not only for India and Bangladesh but for the entire neighborhood”, Dipu Moni said.
Moni said the Indian Prime Minister conveyed to her that his government was “totally committed to implementing all the decisions taken during the visits of the two Prime Ministers in the last four and half years”.
“He (Singh) has assured that India will not do anything to harm the interests of Bangladesh”, she said.
The Bangladesh Foreign Minister said the two countries have brought to near-completion the two issues of Teesta water-sharing and land boundary agreements and “we all are waiting to see their fruition”.
The sources said during her meeting with the Prime Minister, Moni also noted that there had been enormous progress in bilateral relations since the visit of the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina here in January 2010 and Singh’s visit to Bangladesh in September, 2011.
Moni said most of the decisions agreed upon during these visits have been either been implemented or under implementation and also that the various bilateral mechanisms are working well including the Joint Consultative Committee between the two Foreign Ministries, as per the sources.
Singh underlined that bilateral trade has grown impressively and that exports by both countries to each other have risen significantly.
Exports from Bangladesh to India last year stood at USD 565 million, the highest ever to India.
There was recognition of cooperation in the power sector and by September 2013, 500 MW of power would be flowing to Bangladesh with inter-grid connectivity. Also, NTPC-assisted Khulna coal-based power project would be initiated by September, 2013, sources said.
There was also a discussion on Indian assistance to Bangladesh. The USD 1 billion Line of Credit by India to Bangladesh has been flowing in a satisfactory manner including the USD 200 million grant of which USD 150 million has already been provided to Bangladesh. -PTI
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