Cautiously optimistic of Teesta being inked during Modi visit: Envoy

Bangladesh envoy Syed Moazzem Ali on Friday voiced "cautious optimism" on the Teesta water sharing agreement being inked during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day visit to Bangladesh June 6-7.

Ali, addressing media persons at the Foreign Correspondents Club here, said that the Teesta issue would be discussed during talks between Modi and his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka.

"I am cautiously optimistic," of the Teesta agreement being inked, he said.

Ali said that both sides would discuss the issue "threadbare". "I hope we can reach an agreement during the visit, and even if they can't, they will hold substantive discussions and both sides can make further progress," he said.

Modi will be accompanied by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during the visit. Banerjee had blocked the water sharing deal between the two nations four years ago and dropped out of the delegation to accompany then prime minister Manmohan Singh to Dhaka, leading to embarrassment to the government.

Banerjee would be present when the two countries ink the much-awaited Land Boundary Agreement (LBA). The Indian parliament earlier this month passed a key constitutional amendment for implementation of the 1974 land swap agreement.

Last week, union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had said that the Teesta water sharing accord would be finalised soon and had voiced optimism about getting the support of Banerjee on the issue.

Ali said that both countries share 54 common rivers, but have an agreement so far on sharing of the Ganga river waters.

He said that both sides could work on "joint basin management" of all the common rivers, which would address the issue of dipping water levels during the lean period. Bangladesh is the lower riparian state.

According to Ali, a number of agreements are set to be inked during the visit, including on connectivity.

Among the agreements on connectivity likely to be inked include a bus service between Guwahati-Dhaka via Shillong and another connecting Kolkata, Agartala and Dhaka.

India and Bangladesh have two regular bus services, one between Kolkata and Dhaka and the other between Agartala and Dhaka.

Both sides are also planning to restore rail and steamer connectivity, including for a steamer from Dhaka to Guwahati.

Ali said that the Modi government is stressing on its Look East and Act East policy. "If India has to look east, the first country will be Bangladesh," he said.

Modi's 36-hour visit would see a packed itinerary, which would include holding talks with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, meeting President M. Abdul Hamid, addressing intellectuals, meeting the Indian community in Dhaka and a visit to the Dhakeswari temple.