Outcomes of PM’s india visit: Between hope and despair

GBNEWS24DESK//

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s four-day visit to India brought some positive outcomes like the offer of free transit through India to third countries and the Kushiyara water-sharing MoU.

However, little progress towards the signing of a long-sought Teesta deal was somewhat of a dampener.

Experts said India’s offer to Bangladesh for free transit via its territory for exporting products to third countries through specific land ports, airports, and seaports was a positive move.

Speaking to The Daily Star, former foreign secretary Touhid Hossain said, “The MoU on Kushiyara water sharing is a good development, considering that nothing happened for a long time in the realm of water sharing.

“This is a welcome gesture but the sad part is there is no progress on Teesta. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina talked about Teesta water sharing but there was no concrete response from the Indian side.”

He also said that although both sides agreed to work towards bringing the border killings down to zero, Bangladesh has actually not much to do in this regard.

International relations analyst Shahab Enam Khan said this visit has highlighted the mutual economic interests of the two nations.

Both the prime ministers have acknowledged that the two countries need to go beyond myopic views concerning security and defence, he said.