bdnews24.com :
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has agreed to meet Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Delhi. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) officials told bdnews24.com that Mamata will be reaching Delhi on Friday night-the same day Hasina arrives.
Mamata will be present at the meeting between Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Saturday.
She will be present when the two prime ministers
launch the Khulna-Kolkata Bus service on Saturday through video-conferencing. Later on Saturday night, Banerjee will join the dinner hosted by Indian President Pranab Mukherjee in Hasina’s honour.
Rastrapati Bhavan sources said Mamata Banerjee has confirmed joining the dinner after Mukherjee spoke to her on Monday. So far, Mamata has been complaining that the Indian government was sidelining her on the Teesta water sharing negotiations.
She even alleged that the Modi government was planning to sign the deal with Bangladesh on May 25.
MEA rubbished the allegations and its spokesperson Gopal Bagley said all stakeholders including West Bengal will be brought into the discussions at the right time.
Initially, as reported by bdnews24.com, the plan was to leave President Pranab Mukherjee to take the lead by getting PM Hasina face-to-face with Mamata. The idea was to consult her on bilateral issues that would affect West Bengal. Now that seems to have graduated to a formal engagement that seeks to bring her into the discussions involving the two prime ministers. Analysts say that raises the possibility of a breakthrough on the Teesta water sharing and the Ganges Barrage projects. “The ice seems to be melting. Once she is part of discussions, she will have no excuse to complain that she has been left out,” says Bangladesh watcher Sukhoranjan Dasgupta.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has agreed to meet Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Delhi. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) officials told bdnews24.com that Mamata will be reaching Delhi on Friday night-the same day Hasina arrives.
Mamata will be present at the meeting between Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Saturday.
She will be present when the two prime ministers
launch the Khulna-Kolkata Bus service on Saturday through video-conferencing. Later on Saturday night, Banerjee will join the dinner hosted by Indian President Pranab Mukherjee in Hasina’s honour.
Rastrapati Bhavan sources said Mamata Banerjee has confirmed joining the dinner after Mukherjee spoke to her on Monday. So far, Mamata has been complaining that the Indian government was sidelining her on the Teesta water sharing negotiations.
She even alleged that the Modi government was planning to sign the deal with Bangladesh on May 25.
MEA rubbished the allegations and its spokesperson Gopal Bagley said all stakeholders including West Bengal will be brought into the discussions at the right time.
Initially, as reported by bdnews24.com, the plan was to leave President Pranab Mukherjee to take the lead by getting PM Hasina face-to-face with Mamata. The idea was to consult her on bilateral issues that would affect West Bengal. Now that seems to have graduated to a formal engagement that seeks to bring her into the discussions involving the two prime ministers. Analysts say that raises the possibility of a breakthrough on the Teesta water sharing and the Ganges Barrage projects. “The ice seems to be melting. Once she is part of discussions, she will have no excuse to complain that she has been left out,” says Bangladesh watcher Sukhoranjan Dasgupta.
