BNP wants Teesta deal as Hasina reaches Delhi

BNP spokesperson Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Friday warned that they would not accept any treaty or agreement with India except for the long-pending Teesta water sharing deal. The party earlier announced that they were against signing a deal or agreement on defence cooperation during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s India tour. According to media reports, India has proposed a $500-million line of credit for Bangladesh to purchase military hardware from mainly Indian state-run producers. Hasina was received by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi when she reached Delhi Friday noon on a four-day state visit. They will sit for a meeting on Saturday morning. “We have already clarified our stance about the prime minister’s India visit. At this moment, Teesta is our main problem,” the BNP secretary general told reporters after placing bouquets on the grave of party founder Ziaur Rahman at Dhaka’s Chandrima Udyan, reports Bangla Tribune. The two countries have many unresolved issues including border killings and trade gap, and the “people of Bangladesh will not accept a defence deal or agreement now leaving the other issues aside,” Fakhrul said. He was flanked by Joint Secretary General Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel, Standing Committee member Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, Khaleda’s Adviser Habibur Rahman among others.