Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)-Bangladesh Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali Saturday refuted media reports over Indian Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi’s Dhaka visit.
The official confirmation is yet to come over Narendra Modi’s Dhaka visit, but Bangladesh surely wants to see such a tour, the minister said in reply to a query.
“We don’t know about it (Modi’s visit) yet. Let it be done first. Let him take oath first. We want to see that he pays a visit here,” he told reporters at a press conference in his ministry.
The minister said everything would take place and everything would be discussed with India gradually.
Earlier on May 22, Indian daily Business Standard reported that Modi’s first official visit as head of government will likely be to Dhaka, where he is expected to sign the much-awaited Teesta water-sharing agreement with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The issue was discussed at length during Modi’s telephonic conversation with Hasina, who not only requested Modi to make Bangladesh his first foreign destination as prime minister, but to also consider Dhaka his “second home”, diplomatic sources told Indian newspaper Business Standard.
The Teesta water-sharing agreement accounted for a substantial part of their conversation, the sources said.
Modi is understood to have told Hasina he would take “concrete and meaningful steps” for a robust bilateral relationship.
The United Progressive Alliance was not able to sign an agreement on sharing the river water because of opposition from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Though Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party has absolute majority in the Lok Sabha, he must convince Banerjee, as water is a state subject in India.
Sources said Modi could bring Banerjee on board by offering her a fiscal package to revive cash-strapped West Bengal.
Banerjee is learnt to have been invited to Modi’s swearing-in ceremony.
Modi might also convince Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling to share Teesta waters with West Bengal.
The prime minister-elect enjoys good relations with Chamling since his days as Gujarat chief minister.
The Teesta water sharing treaty is likely to be Modi’s first step towards business-like and cordial relations with India’s neighbours.
He is also learnt to have specially invited leaders of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation countries for his swearing-in ceremony on May 26.
BBN/SS/AS-24May14-3:00pm (BST)