I'm very serious
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday assured his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina that he is serious about resolving the pending issues like Teesta water-sharing treaty and implementation of the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA).
“I am very serious about the Land Boundary Agreement and Teesta water sharing deal with Bangladesh, and I am exploring the ways to resolve these issues,” Modi was quoted as saying at the maiden meeting between the two leaders at New York Palace hotel.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque, who briefed reporters after the meeting, said Hasina told Modi that Bangladesh wants quick solution to these issues, report news agencies.
About the LBA implementation, Modi said it was “only a matter of time”, while on Teesta water-sharing, he said his country would seriously look into it, according to meeting sources.
The Indian Parliament is yet to pass a constitution amendment bill mandatory to implement the LBA. The bill, placed in the Rajya Sabha last year, has been referred to a parliamentary standing committee. Both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha have to clear the amendment bill to operationalise the LBA.
The Teesta deal has been in limbo since West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee opposed it before the then Indian PM Manmohan Singh's visit to Dhaka in September 2011.
A highly placed source who was present at the Hasina-Modi parley told The Daily Star over the phone that no conclusive discussion took place at the meeting that lasted about 20 minutes from 12:40pm (NY time).
Like his predecessor Manmohan Singh, Modi did not give Hasina any specific timeframe to resolve the long-standing issues, but he assured her of considering them with importance, the source said.
He sought transit facilities for India through Bangladesh, said a foreign ministry source.
In response, Hasina said Bangladesh is not looking for transit facilities only with India but also with other neighbouring countries like Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar by establishing a broader network of regional connectivity.
"Bangladesh has already given partial transit to India and it is working on broadening its connectivity," the source quoted Finance Minister AMA Muhith as telling the Indian PM.
Our New Delhi Correspondent reports: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina termed her meeting with the Indian PM "very good" and said they discussed various bilateral issues.
She was talking to reporters after the meeting.
Asked whether she handed Modi a dossier on Saradha chit fund scam as reported in an Indian daily on Saturday, she said it was never on the agenda of her talks with Modi.
The Indian PM indicated the constitution amendment bill on implementing land boundary deal was already before the select committee of Indian parliament and the new MPs have been given a copy of the bill.
On Teesta, he told Hasina that he was committed to working on reaching a consensus on the matter, according to Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin.
About extremism, Hasina said her government is always against extremism and she will not allow anybody to carry out extremist activities in Bangladesh.
"We have been fighting extremism strongly and I hope India will cooperate," she said, adding that terrorism and extremism remain major impediments to global peace and development.
"My government maintains a zero-tolerance policy to all forms of terrorism, violent extremism, radicalisation and religion-based politics. We remain firm in our resolve not to allow any terrorist individual or entity to use our land against another state," she said.
The Bangladesh PM invited her Indian counterpart to visit Bangladesh at his convenience.
"I'll visit Bangladesh very soon. Our officers are working on this and I hope they'll find a day for the visit,” Modi said.
He wished Hasina all the best on her birthday today.
Hasina, who could not attend Modi's swearing-in ceremony on May 26 as she was on a tour of Japan, congratulated Modi on his first UN speech.
HASINA-BAN MEETING
Before her speech at the 69th session of the UNGA yesterday, Hasina called on the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to provide Bangladeshis with higher positions in UN Peacekeeping Operations.
The UN chief assured her of looking into the matter as well as highly praising her for her role in maintaining a peaceful and stable situation in Bangladesh, said Dr AK Abdul Momen, the permanent representative to the UN.
Talking to The Daily Star over the phone, Momen said the UN chief lauded Bangladesh's achievements in the education sector and Hasina's bold steps in curbing terrorism in the region.
Ban also congratulated Bangladesh and the prime minister on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Bangladesh's membership to the UN, he added.
"Democracy is progressing fast in Bangladesh," Ban was quoted as saying.
Momen said that the UN chief, however, did not say anything about the January 5 election.
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