Will resolve pending issues with India through talks: Hasina

Fresh from victory in the controversial general elections, Bangladesh Premier Sheikh Hasina today said she was confident of resolving all pending issues with India, including the Land Boundary Agreement, through talks.

Replying to a question about her government's ties with India in the past five years, Hasina said she wants good relations with all regional countries with the common interest of fighting poverty and deriving mutual benefits.

"We may have some problems on some bilateral issues like the pending Ganges Water treaty, water sharing in 53 other common rivers and the Land Boundary Agreement, but I believe we can settle them through talks," she said in her first comments to the media after the victory in yesterday's polls.

The Land Boundary Agreement envisages exchange of 161 enclaves adversely held by India and Bangladesh in each other's territories and alteration of borders between the two sides at some places.

Hasina's Awami League won 104 of the 147 seats for which polling was held. Having won 127 seats uncontested, the party now has 231 seats in the parliament.

The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) led by former prime minister Khaleda Zia boycotted the polls, which were marred by widespread violence and a low turnout.

Opposition parties had demanded that Hasina should step down and hand over power to a neutral caretaker government for poll oversight.