The share of the Teesta water has remained a longstanding, thorny bilateral issue between Bangladesh and India.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government is keen to resolve the matter as the country heads to a national election in December.
She told Indian media visiting Dhaka that Bangladesh expected the issue to be resolved.
Despite Dhaka and Delhi’s interests, opposition from West Bengal government has kept the project stalled.
“But Didi (West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee) did not give water,” Hasina said, reports The Hindu BusinessLine.
Dhaka and Delhi signed more than 100 agreements, including one for the defence sector, during Sheikh Hasina’s tenure.
The prime minister said the Teesta water sharing issue had been the sole point of ‘dissatisfaction’ in the Indo-Bangladesh bilateral cooperation.
During her tenure, the government signed over 100 agreements with India, including the first-ever agreements in the defence sector.
She told the journalists that implementing the agreements would be a priority if she returned to office for a third consecutive term.
The prime minister said she was “satisfied” with the progress of projects under the $7.5 billion Indian line of credit (LOC).
There is uneasiness in Delhi after Beijing offered Dhaka a $24 billion LOC and got contracts for big projects, including power plants. Beijing has also expressed interest to open a deep sea port.
“India is our next-door neighbour. So you (India) must not worry,” Prime Minister Hasina said.
“As a nation, we are open to investments irrespective of its source,” she said. “We put a priority in maintaining good relations with neighbours.”
Thursday, April 25, 2024
