No Teesta deal during Modi visit: Bangladesh FM

Foreign minister AK Abdul Momen on Friday said that the Teesta River issues with India were petty matters.

And, he went on, signing instruments on these issues in the bilateral talks during the visit by Indian prime minister Narendra Modi to Bangladesh on March 26 and 27 is irrelevant.

The Indian prime minister ‘will be here to join the golden jubilee celebrations of the independence of Bangladesh and this is a matter of enjoyment for us,’ Momen replied to a question from reporters on the possibility of  signing an agreement on sharing Teesta River waters, adding, ‘This event should not be used for talks on unresolved issues.’

Momen said, ‘Don’t raise all these things. We are joyful for their participation. These [Teesta isuues] are petty matters. We are resolving issues with India through discussions. We’ll proceed with the rest of the issues gradually. But this event should not be an occasion to resolve petty things. This is a very special event. Their attendance is recognition to Bangladesh’s achievements.’

The heads of state of the Maldives and Nepal and the  heads of government of India, Bhutan and Sri Lanka would come to attend the celebrations of the golden jubilee of the independence of Bangladesh and the birth centenary of the country’s founding president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman — this is the biggest achievement, the foreign minister said after an event at a hotel in Dhaka.

‘Many people ask me [Momen] what memorandums of understanding and what other instruments would be signed [during this visit],’ he said, adding, ‘All these are irrelevant.’

The foreign minister claimed that an instrument on Teesta River waters sharing was initialled about 10 years ago but it was not implemented for their (India’s) internal problem.

‘We are no fools. You all know why it is yet to be done,’ he said        

Modi is scheduled to reach Dhaka on March 26 on a two-day official visit at the invitation of his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina and he would also visit places in Satkhira and Gopalganj during his trip.

The Indian premier would hold a bilateral meeting with the Bangladesh PM in addition to attending the celebration programmes, according to officials.

News Courtesy:

https://www.newagebd.net/article/132560/no-teesta-deal-during-modi-visit-bangladesh-fm