West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee arrived in Dhaka last night on a three-day visit, when the water flow in the disputed shared river Teesta has been weakening with time.
However, the Bangladesh leadership hoped that the visit would pave way for resolving two long-pending issues with India – the Land Boundary Agreement (LAB) and sharing of Teesta water.
Bangladesh and India were scheduled to sign the Teesta agreement in 2011 during the visit of the then Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh, but it did not happen because of strong resistance from the West Bengal chief minister.
Bangladesh State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam and Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Pankaj Saran received Mamata at the Shahjalal International Airport.
Later, she was taken to the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in the city where she will be staying for attending a programme marking the International Mother Language Day on February 21.
Before Mamata arrived in Dhaka on her first tour since assuming office in 2011, a total of 111 Bangladeshi fishermen were released from Indian jail. They returned home through the Shyamnagar border yesterday.
Hours before starting for Dhaka, Mamata wrote on Tweeter: “This is a very emotional moment for me. I’ll be leaving in a few hours for Bangladesh to attend Bhasha Dibas on Feb 21 there.”
Before leaving the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata, Mamata said this was a very emotional moment for her as she is visiting Bangladesh to attend February 21 programmes. She mentioned that she last visited Bangladesh 17 years ago.
“I’m looking forward to meeting [Prime Minister] Sheikh Hasina and the people of Bangladesh. India and Bangladesh share a special friendship and a special bond,” she said.
Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj talked to Mamata over phone and conveyed greetings, reports UNB.
“We hope that the visit will deepen Bangladesh’s soul-ties with the West Bengal. We also expect it will create a conducive environment in settling unresolved issues between Dhaka and Delhi,” said State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam yesterday.
Referring to feedback got from the Indian side, the Bangladesh government said the ratification of the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) is a matter of time while the Indian central government is working to deliver its commitment regarding signing of Teesta Water sharing pact with Bangladesh.
During her stay here, Mamata will meet President Abdul Hamid at Bangababan at 4pm today, hold a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Ganobhaban on Saturday and attend a “High Tea” to be hosted by Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali.
She will attend the language day programmes at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka and pay homage to the martyrs of the Language Movement. She will also visit the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum.
Mamata’s 39-member delegation includes officials, journalists and several media personalities including actors Prasenjit, Munmun Sen and Deb, filmmaker Gautam Ghosh and singer Nachiketa.
