Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)-Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Sunday blamed West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee for failing to sign the Teesta water sharing treaty among the two neighbouring countries.
Bangladesh and India were scheduled to sign a deal on the water sharing of common river Teesta during Indian PM Manmohan Singh's Dhaka visit in September, 2011.
But the deal was not inked following the last-moment objections raised by Mamata, the Bangladesh premier said at a meeting with officials of Bangladesh's water resources ministry in Dhaka.
The Indian PM had expressed his optimism on signing the deal, she said.
This is for the first time Hasina categorically put the blame on Mamata for not signing the treaty which is a long standing demand of Bangladesh people.
Mamata was also supposed to accompany the Indian PM during his Dhaka visit in 2011, but she cancelled her visit at the last moment and the deal could not be signed, Hasina added.
BBN/ANS/AD-11May14-10:20pm (BST)