Upbeat about all but Teesta

Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali yesterday said a lot of issues would come up for discussion during the prime minister's India visit and it would not matter if the Teesta water sharing deal was not one of them.

The government would make details of the much-talked-about defence deal public if it was signed, he told a press conference at his ministry ahead of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's April 7-10 visit.

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This was the first official statement by the minister about the PM's tour.

He said 33 deals and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) were likely to be signed between the two countries during the PM's visit.

Most of the deals would be on setting up of border haats, information and broadcasting, nuclear assistance for civil purpose, science and technology, information and communications technology, satellite and space research, geological science, defence assistance, a line of credit, setting up of community clinics and assistance in power and energy sectors.

About the proposed deal on defence cooperation, the foreign minister said, “You all will see once it takes place. Nothing will be kept secret; everything will be disclosed in time.

“What our critics have been saying regarding the proposed defence deal, there is nothing in it like that,” he told reporters.

On the Teesta water sharing deal, he said: “So many issues would come up for discussion. The relations between Bangladesh and India have reached a new height. It doesn't matter if one [Teesta deal] of all these is not done.”

Expansion of bilateral trade, boosting of investment, connectivity, sub-regional assistance, waterways communication, construction of Padma and Ganga barrages, distribution of common river water, water resources management based on river basins, border protection, security assistance, drug smuggling and human trafficking will feature prominently during the PM's talks with Indian leaders, the minister added.

The premiers of Bangladesh and India will inaugurate a cargo train service on Birol-Radhikapur route and passenger train and bus services on Khulna-Kolkata route. They will also launch supply of additional 60MW electricity to Bangladesh from Tripura's Palatana power plant.

The two PMs will unveil the cover of the Hindi version of the book --Unfinished Memoirs of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The two countries will issue a joint statement on the PM's visit, Mahmood said.

During the trip, Bangladesh Liberation War Honour award would be given posthumously to Indian soldiers who had fought the 1971 war to serve Bangladesh's cause and sacrificed their lives.

The foreign minister said Bangladesh will primarily honour 1,661 Indian soldiers posthumously.

Hasina will hand over the award and a letter to the family members of 60 late soldiers. Her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi will address the programme.

The Bangladesh PM is expected to have meetings with the Indian president, vice-president, foreign minister and the chief of the Indian National Congress.

The foreign minister said a business event will be held on April 10 with participation of top businessmen from both the countries.

The implementation of the Land Boundary Agreement by the two countries set an example in the world about friendly bilateral relations and the PM's visit would strengthen it further, he added.

Replying to a question, he said the two neighbours were trying to bring the border killings to the “lowest level”.

MAKE DEALS PUBLIC: BNP

The BNP yesterday demanded the government make public all the proposed Bangladesh-India deals and MoUs ahead of the PM's tour.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir made the demand at a press conference at the party's Nayapaltan central office.

He warned that people would not accept any anti-state deal.

“This country belongs to the people. They have the right to know and give opinions about all the agreements and MoUs relating to their interests. If the government inks any deal that goes against the interest of the country and its people, sovereignty and security, people won't accept it.”

Fakhrul said BNP wanted to see Bangladesh-India ties strengthened further.