Editorial
Foreign secretary-level talks in Delhi
Resolving bilateral issues must acquire urgency
The talks between the foreign secretaries of Bangladesh and India in Delhi hold out the hope for some good results to emerge soon on outstanding issues between the two countries.
It may be mentioned that the talks were held as a follow up to the Joint Consultative Commission meeting held in New Delhi in May this year and the two summit meetings in 2009 and 2011 in New Delhi and Dhaka respectively. In Bangladesh we look upon such meetings as stocktaking of what have been implemented as far as the two joint declarations are concerned.
Bangladesh is still waiting for progress in the two important issues, the land boundary agreement and the Teesta water sharing. Implementation of the USD one billion loan has stared very recently. To a very large extent, indeed almost totally, the onus is now upon the Indian government to move, and move quickly, towards an implementation of the agreements that have been reached.
As the Bangladesh foreign secretary has correctly pointed out, it is not in anyone's interest to make a commitment and not deliver on it. Obviously, the Indian government is hamstrung by the reluctance of the West Bengal chief minister to countenance any deal with Bangladesh on the ground that such a deal might harm the interests of her state. All we can say is that such internal Indian dynamics must be speedily worked on by India quickly.
Bangladesh ought not to be kept in a limbo over the Teesta issue and the land boundary agreement. If it is, mutual confidence will wither. With such other issues as the killings on the border of Bangladeshis by India's BSF on the table, it is our expectation that the foreign secretary-level talks in Delhi will have stressed the urgency with which all outstanding issues must be approached and resolved.
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