Dhaka urges Delhi to close Teesta-water sharing deal

Dhaka requested New Delhi to expedite the process of signing the Teesta River water deal and other treaties concerning shared rivers during the Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) yesterday.

Previously, in 2011, Bangladesh and India failed to seal the Teesta deal due to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s last-minute opposition.

Bangladesh also requested the removal of trade barriers to ensure an uninterrupted supply of essential commodities between the two countries, according to a foreign ministry statement.

Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen and his Indian counterpart Vinay Mohan Kwatra led the FOC at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi.

This is the second FOC between Bangladesh and India, with the first one being held in February this year in Dhaka. This FOC is considered significant ahead of the upcoming national elections in both countries, which were a matter of discussion in various parts of the world.

On November 10, in a bilateral meeting between New Delhi and Washington, India shared its perspectives on Bangladesh, saying that India wants to see a democratic, progressive and stable Bangladesh.

The perspective shared by Washington was not disclosed, however, the US has been calling for free and fair elections in Bangladesh.

Before leaving for Delhi, Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen told the media that among other things, political issues may be discussed, and if India inquired, he would provide an update on the elections.

Although the statement did not mention whether politics or elections were discussed, it did highlight that Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra stressed the importance of maintaining stability in the region.

Masud Bin Momen requested Vinay Kwatra to expedite the visa issuance process to expand the people-to-people contacts while seeking India’s assistance in resolving the Rohingya crisis that has caused an economic, environmental, and diplomatic challenge for Bangladesh.

Referring to the recent inauguration of a number of projects for enhancing connectivity and power and energy sector cooperation by the two prime ministers, the two foreign secretaries said this sort of cooperation reflects the tangible outcomes of strong bilateral relations.

They further emphasised bolstering cooperation in important areas such as development, trade and commerce, regional connectivity, regional power grid connection, security and water-related issues, and consular and cultural issues.

India is Bangladesh’s second-largest trading partner, with the trade volume amounting to about $15 billion in 2021-22.

Kwatra termed Bangladesh a trusted neighbour and assured the commitment of the Indian leadership to further strengthen the relationship with Bangladesh.

Masud Bin Momen thanked the Indian government for inviting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to attend the “G20 Leaders’ Summit” as the only South Asian leader under India’s G20 Presidency.