India must fast settle Teesta issue
Comments Times of India
While India's assurance to Bangladesh on improving joint border management is welcome, New Delhi must follow it up by expeditious ratification of the land boundary agreement and settlement of the Teesta water-sharing issue, “The Times of India” newspaper editorially commented yesterday.
Referring to Bangladesh Home Minister Shahara Khatun's recent visit to Delhi and her talks with her Indian counterpart P Chidambaram, it said the two leaders “pledged to build on the positive momentum in bilateral relations at the end of their meet” by “reaffirming their commitment to fighting terrorism and jointly addressing common security concerns.
“Ties between the two neighbours have been on the upswing since the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government came to power in Dhaka in 2009.
“This has not only led to closer security cooperation with Bangladesh cracking down on anti-India insurgent groups but also provided a huge fillip to two-way trade which stood at $ 1.7 billion in the first half of the current financial year.
“However, irritants remain in the form of water sharing and border firing incidents.
“It is welcome that New Delhi has reassured Dhaka on improving joint border management. But this must be followed by expeditious ratification of the land boundary agreement and settlement of the important Teesta water-sharing issue”, it said.
It pointed out that “there are massive opportunities for bilateral growth and synergy. Due to its strategic geographic location, Bangladesh can serve as a major connectivity hub, linking Nepal, Bhutan and India's northeast with Southeast Asia.
“In turn, Indian investment can boost Bangladesh's economy, which has been steadily growing at 5%. Already, over 100 Indian firms have a presence in Bangladesh, with many more queuing up.
“But investment plans such as Ceat's first tyre manufacturing plant in Bangladesh and Sahara India's Rs 80,000-crore 'New Dhaka' project need to be bolstered by greater people-to-people contact and cultural exchanges, it added.
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