Sagar Biswas :Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee is likely to accompany Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his two-day visit to Bangladesh beginning on June 06. According to information received in Dhaka on Thursday evening, the office of Mamata Banerjee confirmed her tour expressing optimism that Modi’s visit would strengthen ties between the two neighbouring countries. Mamata earlier had paid a three-day visit to Dhaka from February 19 to February 21.Official sources said that Mamata may play a vital role in signing much-talked about Teesta Water Sharing Treaty. The central government of India is also trying its level best to convince Mamata for the Teesta treaty and already assured West Bengal chief about special allocation of money for her irrigation project. The Teesta deal was set to be inked during the then Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Bangladesh in September 2011 but was postponed at the last minute due to objections by Mamata Banarjee.The Teesta water is crucial for Bangladesh, especially in the lean period from December to March when the water flow often temporarily comes down to less than 1,000 cusecs from 5,000 cusecs every year.Indian media reported that during his [Modi] talks with Mamata at Nazrul Mancha [Kolkata], Modi reportedly told her about his Dhaka plan and wanted her to accompany him. Confirming the preliminary discussions between the PM and the CM, state secretariat sources maintained that nothing had been finalized.Mamata reportedly told Modi about her plan to visit London for four days in July and said if the PMO could confirm the Bangladesh dates, she could arrange her schedule accordingly. There is widespread speculation in diplomatic circle that the Bangladesh-India friendship treaty is likely to be renewed during Modi’s visit. The pact, signed by the two countries on March 9, 1972, expired in 1997. Meanwhile, Modi’s visit to Bangladesh is also aimed to inject new momentum in the bilateral relationship by enhancing cooperation in connectivity, economic and other areas, Indian media reported.During the visit, part of his policy to deepen engagement with India’s immediate neighbourhood, Modi will hold wide-ranging talks with Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on the whole gamut of ties.The two leaders had met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York in September last year and then again on the margin of SAARC Summit in Kathmandu in November the same year.
