Barbed wire fencing by India to affect ties

Foreign Minister Abdus Samad Azad yesterday said erection of barbed wire fence along the border by India would "affect the relations between the two neighbouring countries," reports UNB.

"I will find out why it is being done," he said refusing to elaborate further.

Bangladesh and India have a border stretching more than 4,000 kilometers. India said last week that it was fencing parts of the border to stop cross-border smuggling and trespassing.

The Foreign Minister was addressing a press conference in his office on return from Oman where he attended an extra-ordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers of Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation.

He said he had talks with his Indian counterpart Jaswant Singh in Muscat who expressed the desire to lead his country's delegation to the Indo-Bangladesh Joint Economic Commission meeting in Dhaka, which has not held during the last 3 years.

"We agreed when we met in Oman that the commission should meet immediately in Dhaka at a mutually convenient time," Azad said.

On SAARC Summit that was postponed late last year at the behest of India. Azad said, "some uncertainties looms large". However, Bangladesh and other members were trying to find ways to hold the summit.

Constitutionally the summit can only be held with participation of all the seven member states. The situation in Pakistan is a matter of discussion. Both United Nations and Commonwealth have condemned the military take over there, Azad said.

"We cannot wait for much time, and we are trying to find out ways on the basis of the SAARC constitution ... This will not be a permanent deadlock," he added.

The Foreign Minister said the signing of extradition treaty with Canada is underway to bring back the killers of Bangabandhu who are absconding there.

Discussions were held with USA to bring back the killers who are absconding there also, Azad said.

Asked if Dhaka and Washington will sign extradition treaty before President Clinton's visit, Azad said, "let's see. They are examining. We gave our proposal and are working on this."

At least two former army officers condemned to death along with 13 others, are believed to have been staying in USA.

When his attention was drawn to an Israeli newspaper report that he had a meeting with Israeli foreign ministry officials in Bangkok recently, Azad said, "It is baseless and a cooked up story."

About the meeting of the council of ministers of the IOR-ARC, Azad said it as "highly successful."

For the first time Bangladesh formally joined the meeting of IOR-ARC since it was floated in March last year.

About Dhaka's membership of the IOR-ARC, Azad said every organisation had its objective and purposes, and none overlapped the other.

He said the IOR-ARC is basically an economic grouping, whose main objectives are to promote sustained growth and balanced development of the region.

He said the meeting of IOR Business Forum would be held in Maputo, Mozambique, in April. A delegation of business community from Bangladesh will attend it.