Diplomatic Correspondent :
The upcoming visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India has drawn much curiosity in the political landscape when various tensions are looming large in the regional and global arenas.
The global stage is now plagued with Russia and Ukraine war, Israel and the US strikes in the Middle East, Taiwan Strait tension and the dominance of big powers in the South Asian regions followed by the global inflations, food crisis, security concerns and import-export dilemma over currency swapping.
Experts said when such tumultuous situation is continuing both home and abroad, the meeting between Dhaka and Delhi on premier level must focus on the issues and look for mutual cooperation on various levels.
Along with this, Sheikh Hasina’s visit to India will also pin point on the political level because the national election of Bangladesh has only one year left, they said.
Before her visit to India, a controversy has sprung through the statement of Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen who recently blurted out that he sought Indian assistance to keep Awami League government in power.
After such remarks, the government and the ruling party Awami League had faced a tsunami of criticisms from the cross-section of the people even though the party tried to bury the speech by the culture of denial.
Diplomatic sources said that even India also felt ’embarrassed’ for such a statement from a top level minister of the government.
Sheikh Hasina has a schedule to visit India on September 5-8 on a four-day official visit in Delhi to hold talks with her counterpart Narendra Modi on September 6.
Sources said that her visit will focus on entire gamut of bilateral issues including defence cooperation, water sharing of the common rivers and other unresolved issues.
Earlier it was said that prior to her visit, the 38th meeting of the India-Bangladesh Joint Rivers Commission (JRC) would be held and it ended on Thursday after a gap of one era.
The meeting discussed on the common rivers between the two countries specially the Ganges, Teesta, Manu, Muhuri, Khowai, Gumti, Dharla, Dudhkumar and Kushiyara.
The Bangladesh side requested for a conclusion of the long pending Teesta Water Sharing Treaty at an early date while the Indian side assured of their utmost efforts in concluding the agreement.
Bangladesh has been repeatedly requesting the central government of India to settle the Teesta water sharing issue in a bid to save its northern region from desertification.
Feeling the urgency of Bangladesh, Indian government also gives their repeated nods to resolve it but in the same breath it says that West Bengal is the bottleneck for it.
Meanwhile, Indian media reports that West Bengal Chief Minister will also attend the Delhi meeting where she will have talks with Sheikh Hasina.
Foreign Ministry sources said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is going to India after almost three years. Her last visit was on 3 October 2019.
Bangladesh is expecting that her visit will cement the relations between the two countries through mutual cooperation on trans-boundary rivers especially Teesta water sharing along with BBIN initiative.
Her visit will be followed by the signing of a number of agreements and Memorandum of Understanding.
Sheikh Hasina flanked by her entourage is scheduled to reach Delhi on September 5 and meet the Indian guests in Bangladesh High Commission to Delhi on the same day.
Before holding meeting with Narendra Modi on the following day, she would pay tribute to the mausoleum of Mahatma Gandhi.
She will deliver a speech to the Indian businessmen on September 7 and on the same day she will visit the shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti and the next day will return home from Joypur city.
Earlier on 25 March on 2021, Norendra Modi visited Bangladesh on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Independence. During that time, Modi invited Hasina to visit India.
