Modi-Hasina talks

THE meeting between Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the Indian PM Narendra Modi in New York on Saturday has been a significant event for two important reasons:  First, it was much-awaited in the backdrop of several high level contacts which set the scene for the one-to-one contact at the highest political level. Secondly, this was the first ever meeting between the two leaders. The change of leadership in India warranted a measure of confidence building and fresh approach to fast-forward things from where these were left off by Congress government.

The get-to-know-each-other meet passed well with positive vibes of Sheikh Hasina impressing upon the urgency of concluding deals on Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) Protocols ratification by India and Teesta water sharing. As for the LBA, Modi said that it was just a matter of time. On Teesta issue, he assured of a serious pursuit of the consensus building process. Not even a tentative time-frame has been given. To his demand for transit, the Bangladesh PM stressed wider connectivity including Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar.

Judged from this overall perspective, we urge the Modi government to realise that we have lots of expectations from his government because, among other things, his own party has greater majority in the Parliament than the Congress. Also, he can count on Congress Party's support as the two agreements were made with it when it was in power.

From the Indian PM's speeches at the UN and earlier pronouncements we are impressed at his emphasis on strengthening relations with India's neighbours. It is in that spirit we suggest the expeditious finalization of the two outstanding agreements with Bangladesh to set our bilateral relations on a win-win trajectory.