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Modi's Bangladesh visit: 20 pacts on table, trade to get boost
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By Sujit ChakrabortyAgartala/Guwahati, June 5
Indian Prime Minister
Narendra Modi's two-day visit to Dhaka from Saturday is likely to see
the signing of 20 agreements besides talks with Bangladesh Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina on boosting trade, connectivity and
anti-terrorism measures.
Chief ministers of several northeastern
states, though they are not accompanying Modi, have requested him to
raise the issues of infiltration, border trade and connectivity with
Bangladesh.
According to a top Bangladesh government official in
Agartala, Modi's 36-hour stay in Dhaka is likely to see both sides ink
as many as 20 agreements.
"Modi's predecessor Manmohan Singh
could not sign the Teesta treaty due to opposition from West Bengal
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The Teesta water sharing pact will cast a
shadow during Modi's tour," Tapas Dey, a known expert on Bangladeshi
affairs, told IANS
Dey, who visited Bangladesh this week, told
IANS: "Though Teesta has been a most fundamental issue for decades, this
time both the Awami League government and the Bangladesh Nationalist
Party (BNP) have agreed that the issue has some internal implications in
Indian politics."
BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, who refused
to pay a courtesy call on Indian President Pranab Mukherjee in Dhaka in
March 2013, is likely to call on Modi.
"This time the BNP has
been very positive towards the visit of the Indian prime minister. Modi
might meet Khaleda Zia on June 7 on the latter's request," Dey said.
Tripura
Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, who along with other northeastern chief
ministers accompanied Manmohan Singh on his Bangladesh visit in
September 2011, said Modi's trip would strengthen bilateral ties.
"The
visit is expected to immensely benefit the northeastern states," Sarkar
told IANS. He said it was after Tripura's pushing that New Delhi agreed
to supply 100 MW electricity from a state power plant to power-starved
Bangladesh.
Sarkar, a popular face in Bangladesh, said that Dhaka
helped "a lot" to tame decades of terrorism in Tripura. He said some
camps of northeastern militants still existed in Bangladesh.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has urged Modi to take up issues concerning his state with Hasina.
"Modi
should take up the matter of boosting water and surface communication
between Assam and Bangladesh and introducing rail links to enhance trade
and commercial ties. He must also raise the issue of cross-border
infiltration," Gogoi said in a statement.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma wants more 'border haats' (markets) along the India-Bangladesh border.
"Modi
can discuss with Hasina about a strategy to develop road connectivity
between northeast India and Bangladesh and to use Chittagong port for
exports," Sangma told IANS over telephone.
On June 7, Modi and
Hasina would, over video conferencing, jointly inaugurate a 'border
haat' at Kamalasagar in western Tripura's Sipahijala district, which
borders Brahmanbaria district of Bangladesh.
The 'border haat'
will be the second in Tripura and the fourth on the India-Bangladesh
border. The Indian commerce ministry is footing the cost of the border
haats to boost trade in local produce.
Modi and Hasina are to
flag off two bus services: between Agartala and Kolkata via Bangladesh
as well as between Dhaka and Guwahati via Meghalaya capital Shillong and
Bangladeshi city Sylhet.
The trial runs have already been conducted.
Both
sides are likely to ink an agreement on coastal shipping and effective
use of water ways, on tackling human trafficking, besides
operationalizing the historic land (enclaves) swap agreement.
"Setting
up Special Economic Zones in Bangladesh by India is likely to be
discussed," a Bangladesh official told IANS on the condition of
anonymity.
Noted economist Sekhar Paul told IANS: "Economic
cooperation between India and Bangladesh must go hand in hand with
strong political support."
Modi met Hasina on the sidelines of
the UN General Assembly in New York in September and at the 18th SAARC
Summit in Kathmandu in November.
India shares a 4,096-km border,
including 1,116-km riverine one, with Bangladesh, the longest border
India has with any of its neighbours.
Besides West Bengal (2,216
km), the four northeastern states of Tripura (856 km), Meghalaya (443
km), Mizoram (318 km) and Assam (263 km) together share 1,880 km of
border with Bangladesh.
(Sujit Chakraborty can be contacted at [email protected])