India & Bangladesh

The Teesta water sharing treaty remains the main bilateral issue between India and Bangladesh six months after the accord was called off at the last minute. “It is a fact that Bangladesh was looking forward to the Teesta water treaty, and people were disappointed. All the other achievements, were overshadowed during PM Manmohan Singh’s visit. Bangladesh has taken the initiative of making itself a hub of connectivity, everybody will benefit from it including India. I believe these things do not happen overnight. I would not say that it is an issue (Teesta) but when you are satisfied and happy you move better,” Bangladeshi foreign minister Dipu Moni said on Sunday. Moni was asked whether Dhaka was moving slow on finalizing the agreement on waterways transit and connectivity because the unfinished Teesta water sharing deal continued to hurt. She added that “people’s perception also matters”, referring to the sentiment against India among people here for not sharing its water with neighbours. With West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee disagreeing with the quantum of water to be shared with Bangladesh, the Teesta water deal fell through at the last moment when the PM was here to sign it among other bilateral deals between the two countries. In fact, Moni also hinted that Dhaka was hoping and expecting Banerjee to hasten the process in the interest of the entire region. Another sticky issue that came up during Moni’s interaction with Indian journalists was the recent comment of the BSF chief who said firing would continue on the Indo-Bangladesh border as long as criminal activities went on. A day earlier, two Bangladeshi citizens were reportedly injured in border firing. Moni was direct about Bangladesh’s displeasure at the BSF chief’s remark. “Why Bangladesh… anywhere else there would be resentment if there are such statements,” she said.
Bangladesh may have foiled a coup by army officers aligned with fundamentalist outfit Hizb ut Tahrir, but it’s worried about men and officers with radical religious views in the armed forces. The coup was plotted to derail the trial of “war criminals” (those who sided with Pakistani Army in the 1971 liberation war) and scuttle Sheikh Hasina government’s efforts to strengthen ties with India, Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Tariq Karim said.