Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali today said the tour of his counterpart Sushma Swaraj yielded several crucial decisions for enhanced connectivity while Indian foreign office said choosing Dhaka for her maiden visit abroad was the outcome of a “conscious decision”.
“This is the first overseas tour of the Indian external affairs minister after the new government in India took over . . . I think it is the manifestation of depth of Bangladesh-India relations,” Ali told a press briefing at the foreign office after talks with Swaraj at his office.
At a separate briefing at Hotel Sonargaon, India’s foreign office spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said she took a “conscious decision” to travel to Dhaka on a three-day visit in her first stand-alone overseas tour to indicate that “Bangladesh is a very,very important neighbour”.
Akbaruddin said during talks with her Bangladesh counterpart and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Swaraj specially emphasized that the new Indian government stood ready to build on cooperative relations that now existed between the two countries.
The joint secretary for external relations referred to a letter to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, which was handed over by Swaraj, to explain the new government’s attitude to Bangladesh.
“In one line he (Modi) wrote ‘we shed our blood together (in 1971)’ and in another line he said ‘our destinies are linked,” Akbaruddin said.
The Bangladesh foreign minister announced that the maiden tour of his new counterpart brought two neighbours to a closer relationship as it yielded several crucial decisions particularly for enhanced connectivity while India agreed to provide five-year multiple visa for Bangladeshis aged under 13 and above 65.
The two sides, he said, also decided to launch Dhaka-Guwahati bus service on a test run basis, increase frequency and passengers of Dhaka- Kolkata train service and upgrade the existing Bangladesh consulate in Agartala into an assistant high commission and set up four new border haats on Bangladesh frontiers with Meghalaya.
Ali said India agreed to provide 100 MW more power from its northeastern Palatana Plant apart from the existing 500 MW through Bangladesh’s Bheramara station while Bangladesh would allow transportation of 10,000 tonnes of foodgrains on an experimental basis to Tripura, the people of which, he said, Bangladesh is indebted for their generosity in 1971.
The Indian spokesman said connectivity was the major area that would witness a big boost with Swaraj’s Dhaka tour as India and Bangladesh were keen to be engaged to promote bilateral ties.
“If you ask me what the focus of the tour was, I would say it is India- Bangladesh connectivity . . . connectivity in terms of people, energy, transport and exchange of ideas,” Akbaruddin said.
Referring to the outstanding Teesta issue, Ali said the Bangladesh side raised the issue during the talks when Swaraj said “efforts are underway (inside India) to reach a consensus and she expressed the hope about signing of the water sharing agreement” on the common river.
On the other hand, as asked for confirmation of media reports about Swaraj’s talks with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee ahead of her Dhaka tour on the Tessta and pending ratification of Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) in Indian parliament, Akbaruddin said “yes”.
“She (Swaraj) talked to the West Bengal chief minister . . . this was part of past few days of her serious preparations diligently for her first tour abroad . . . she had a very, very pleasant iscussion,” the Indian spokesman said.
Without elaboration he added: “She (Mamata) wished the external affairs minister all success in her Bangladesh visit.”
Bangladesh and India were set to sign the crucial deal on the Teesta during the then Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh’s 2011 Dhaka visit but it was stalled at the last minute as Banerjee stood on the path of the agreement at that time.
Asked about the extradition of wanted Bangladeshi murder suspect Nur Hossain of Narayanganj now detained in India and India’s separatist ULFA leader Anup Chetia, who is now in a Bangladeshi jail, both the sides said their issues were discussed in the meeting.
Ali said India sought a letter seeking his repartition, which Bangladesh would send within the soonest possible time.
Akbaruddin, on the other hand said, “India cannot be a sanctuary of criminals from Bangladesh”. None, however, elaborated on the issue of Chetia though they acknowledged that his matter was discussed also.
Asked if the issue of “illegal” Bangladeshi migrants to India featured the talks as it was an issue of ruling BJP’s election campaign, Ali categorically said the Indian side did not raise the issue “at all”.
Akbaruddin, however, said “all staples of India-Bangladesh relations were discussed” as he was asked for comments on the issue.
The minister said during talks his Indian counterpart conveyed New Delhi’s satisfaction over existing multi-dimensional institutional security infrastructures while Dhaka reiterated its commitment not to allow Bangladesh soil for terrorist activities.
He said the Indian side reiterated their commitment to “turning to zero” the number of killings on borders under the existing Coordinated Border Management Plan.
Ali said Bangladesh thanked India for its decision to duty- free access of its products to Indian markets but urged New Delhi to remove the non-tariff and para-tariff barriers for expanded market of its products there.