Have patience to see deal for Teesta water

Urging all to have patience for getting a concrete outcome on the long-pending Teesta water sharing deal, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali yesterday said the issue was being discussed with India behind the scene.

"Discussion is underway behind your eyes. You will not see what we are doing because diplomacy does not take place in public," he said in response to a volley of questions at a press conference at the foreign ministry.

Ali said West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's visit indicated that discussion on Teesta was going on.

Asked whether he was disappointed as the deal will not be signed during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Mod's visit, he said, "No. It is an ongoing process. You will know once results are there."

The minister, who was briefing on the visit, also said Bangladesh would mainly focus on connectivity. "Work is on to build South Asia as an integrated region."

"This (connectivity) is part of our prime minister's vision to make poverty-free integrated South Asia." He said Bangladesh is working to get 600MW more power  from India.

Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque said there would be focus on boosting regional trade.

Meanwhile, Indian Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar at a press briefing in New Delhi yesterday termed Bangladesh an "exceptional neighbour" and said Modi's "historic" visit to that country would help the two neighbours consolidate and deepen cooperation in key areas of power, energy, and connectivity. Talking about the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicle Agreement, Jaishankar said it was expected to be signed in a "few weeks".