Water sharing deal unlikely

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s upcoming four-day official visit to India would be an unlikely occasion for a breakthrough on sharing of water of the common rivers, Indian diplomatic sources said.

Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to leave Dhaka on Thursday October 3.

According to the sources, the two countries would sign some 10 deals on several areas, but excluding the issue of water sharing.

Her visit was initially planned for joining the 33rd India Economic Summit organised by the World Economic Forum scheduled for October 3-4 in New Delhi. This year’s theme of the summit is ‘Innovating for India: strengthening South Asia, impacting the world.’

More than 800 people from 40 countries would take part in the event, with co-chairs including Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina and Heng Swee Keat, deputy prime minister and finance minister of Singapore, according to WEF website.

The summit also brings together leading cultural figures, technology pioneers and scientists to help accelerate the adoption of Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies, such as artificial intelligence and drones, and boost the growth potential of the South Asian region.

Sheikh Hasina’s visit was, however, turned into a bilateral visit at the invitation of her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi. The two prime ministers would hold a  bilateral talk on October 5. 

The two governments were working on signing some 10 instruments for cooperation in areas of recognising standards of goods certified by organisations like Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution and co-operations among  universities, information technology, culture, sharing of data on river flows and rainfall by India, etc.

Bangladesh was insisting India for removal of barriers in accepting a mechanism for common standards of exportable products for increasing trade with certification of the Bangladesh Standard Testing Institution and the Bureau of Indian Standards as both the organisations are members of the Asian Standard Testing Union.

Sharing of water of common rivers would be discussed during the tour, but attaining a breakthrough including signing agreements on sharing of water of the River Teesta ‘is highly unlikely,’ an official said.

The two sides are likely to form several technical bodies, including one on increasing utilisation of the Ganges water, and another on flows of rivers, including that of the Feni, Manu, Muhuri, Khowai, Gumti, Dharla and the Dudhkumar.

Utilisation of a line of credit extended by India for purchasing military equipment might be discussed in the meeting as India was insisting on making the LOC operation.  The MoU was signed during prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to India in April 2017 on the $500 million Indian loan for buying military equipment under suppliers credit system.

The Bangladesh side was also expecting a formal discussion at the highest political level on India’s move for updating National Register of Citizens with keeping at least two millions Bangla-speaking people out of the list.

Sheikh Hasina’s last official bilateral visit to India was in April 2017. It was expected that Narendra Modi would pay a return visit as Hasina extended invitations on various occasions after April 2017. But he did not pay any visit.

Foreign minister AK Abdul Momen and foreign secretary M ShahidulHaque, among others, would accompany the prime minister in the tour.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net