Bangladesh hopes to seal Teesta pact during Hasina visit in February

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to raise the issue of sharing the Teesta River water during her visit to India in February 2017.

Her visit comes at a time when India is upset with the country’s decision to buy submarines from China. This visit has been scheduled after three of her earlier proposed visits had to be cancelled as the Indian government was unable to offer dates.

However, it seems the main reason why her visit was being postponed was because India was concerned over Bangladesh “allowing” China to encircle India along the Bay of Bengal area, sources told BusinessLine .

But, Bangladesh authorities are believed to have informed India that the submarine deal was an old one under which the country has bought two used submarines from China.

Earlier this month Bangladesh Prime Minister Hasina had told Minister of State for External Affairs MJ Akbar, who was on a visit to Dhaka, that although there could be “problems between two neighbouring countries” these should not come in the way of “friendship and cooperation” that both share. In May last year both countries were able to settle the long pending 1974 Land Boundary Agreement prior to Modi’s visit to that country the following month in an effort to showcase the government’s ‘Neighbourhood Policy.’

As a result, water sharing from the 54 rivers that criss-cross India and Bangladesh remains the biggest sticking point in bilateral ties. Under this, the Teesta water sharing pact remains crucial.

According to diplomatic sources, the 54-river water sharing agreement will topHasina’s agenda even as her focus will continue to be sharing of water from the River Teesta. She is also going to urge India to agree on the construction of dams and reservoirs on both sides of the border as part of the water security arrangement that Modi had promised during his visit there.

The Teesta pact was almost finalised in 2011 under which India agreed to use 42.5 per cent and Bangladesh 38 per cent of Teesta water. But the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was unable to sign it due to objections from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who refused to put her approval on the deal.

As a result, Bangladesh at that time scuttled India’s proposal to get access to its Chittagong Port, which is crucial for promoting India’s trade through the seas. A joint task force has also been created for this purpose.

In a gesture of gratitude the Bangladeshi Prime Minister will be honouring 1,600 soldiers who were martyred as part of the Bangladesh’s War of Liberation in 1971 against Pakistan by offering monetary assistance and honorary medals to their families.

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