A senior diplomatic official in the Bangladesh High Commission told bdnews24.com that the much hyped meeting between the water resources ministers of both countries will take place on Monday.
“Immediately after the meeting, Mahmud will leave for Dhaka,” the official said.
As this is not a political visit, Mahmud will not meet any other Indian leadership, the official said.
Mahmud’s three-day visit comes shortly after the handing over of top Assamese separatist leader Gopal Barua alias Anup Chetia to India.
The process of handing over Chetia to Indian authorities was facilitated by the personal interference of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh premier Sheikh Hasina. Read more
Courtesy: bdnews24.com
]]>“We are trying to take all stakeholders on board so that it (agreement) does not face any hurdles,” said a government official quoting Indian Water Resource Minister Uma Bharati on Monday.
Bharati said this while interacting with her Bangladesh counterpart Anisul Islam Mahmud in New Delhi.
Both the ministers have discussed in length the latest position of Teesta water-sharing agreement and other relevant issues.
Bharati is believed to have told Mahmud that her government was in constant touch with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
“We will definitely take all parties into consideration before taking any decision,” Bharati is said to have told Mahmud. Read more
Courtesy: bdnews24.com
]]>But soon what they saw in reality dashed their hopes: the much-needed Teesta deal fell through.
In the meantime, with no headway towards signing the deal, the lifeline for millions in the country’s northern region kept getting only leaner.
“The Teesta faced the worst ever situation in the last lean period. The entire river went dry this year,” said Feroze, convener of Teesta Rakkha Sangram Committee, an organisation working to realise due share of the trans-boundary river.
“Never before in my lifetime did I witness anything as such,” said Feroze, who hailed from Purba Kachua village of Gangachara upazila in Rangpur. thedailystar.net
Courtesy: thedailystar.net
]]>At least 42 percent people had to relocate their homesteads for 10 times due to riverbank erosion, losing of professions and for other reasons.
Each family dependent on Teesta has to count, on an average, Tk 25,000 loss every year.
A study by international organisation ActionAid has revealed the information on the Teesta-dependent people.
Originated in Indian state Sikkim, the Teesta river enters Bangladesh through Lalmonirhat district. Read more
Courtesy: en.prothom-alo.com
]]>One of the key contentious issues between India and Bangladesh — the sharing of Teesta river waters — finally made it to the joint statement, reaffirming India’s commitment to settle the issue “as soon as possible.”
According to the statement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi “conveyed that deliberations are under way involving all stakeholders with regard to conclusion of the Interim Agreements” on at least two rivers, Teesta and Feni. While it was not very different from what was said in the joint statement in 2011, there was one critical difference. In 2015, the Chief Minister of West Bengal visited Bangladesh and participated in key meetings. Later in the evening, Mr. Modi said he would “make it [Teesta deal] happen.” “We should not lose hope ever about this deal,” he added. Read more
Courtesy: The Hindu
]]>“If you think the Land Boundary Agreement is about a few sq feet of land going this side and that side, then think again. It is a bridge between two nations… a meeting of hearts,” he said. “Had such a thing been done elsewhere, it would have been worthy of a Nobel Prize. But we are poor countries, so no one notices such things,” he added to thunderous applause. Read more
Courtesy: NDTV
]]>To date, only one comprehensive river pact has been signed by India and Bangladesh – a 1996 bilateral treaty that established a 30-year water-sharing arrangement between the two countries. This was set to change in September 2011 when India’s Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, was due to sign a pact with his Bangladeshi counterpart regarding access and use of the Teesta River. Read more
Courtesy: Global Voices
]]>Modi’s success in getting both Houses earlier this month to approve the long held-up Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) allowed him leverage with Bangladesh that helped shake Mamata’s opposition, senior officials familiar with days of negotiations with Dhaka told The Telegraph. Read more
Courtesy: The Telegraph
]]>Courtesy: hindustan times
]]>Courtesy: The Daily Star
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