Sagar Biswas :
The sudden postponement of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s India visit has triggered widespread speculation in the diplomatic circle as none of the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry and Indian External Affairs Ministry has explained the reason formally.
The new date is not announced yet. This will be the first tour to India by Sheikh Hasina after Narendra Modi came to power.
Foreign Ministry sources said Hasina apparently wanted to be sure about the signing of the Teesta Water Sharing Treaty, which is now at stake, during her visit.
Diplomatic sources said the death of Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalitha,
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s possible China visit, and the ongoing political crisis over demonetization were factors for the postponement of Hasina’s India visit.
The Indian administration is now very busy with the above issues and for that reason, the Teesta Water Sharing Treaty could get less importance from the South Block, and Dhaka does not want to make it a sideline issue, the diplomatic sources said. Indian newspaper The Telegraph reported that, a clash in schedules of Modi and Hasina has made her postpone her visit till fresh dates can be mutually worked out, two Bangladeshi officials said.
“There is a particular reason why dates are not announced,” Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said. “Dates are not announced because the schedules have not yet matched.” But Swarup suggested India was still hopeful of a visit by Hasina “as early as possible”. The President of Tajikistan, Emamoli Rahmon, is now scheduled to visit from December 14-18. Rahmon will spend the first three days of his trip in Kerala before flying to New Delhi for talks with Modi.
The Indian Bengali daily Anandabazar quoting an official of Bangladesh High Commission reported that the tour was postponed because the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s schedule was pact due Victory Day.
Meanwhile, Indian State Minister for External Affairs Ministry M J Akbar is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka to attend the ninth summit of global forum on migration and development [GFMD] to be held at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre today [Saturday].
In the occasion, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to give inaugural address while Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali will deliver welcome speech. Besides, Expatriate and Overseas Employment Minister Nurul Islam and LGRD Minister Khandker Mosarraf Hossain will be present there as distinguished guests.
Although, the Indian State Minister is in Dhaka to attend GFMD, his tour is getting high importance in the diplomatic circle against the backdrop of sudden postponement of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s planned India visit.
During his stay, M.J. Akabr is likely to meet PM Sheikh Hasina, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, PM’s foreign adviser Gawher Rizvi and state minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam. There is widespread speculation that, the postponement of Hasina’s India tour and some other bilateral issues, including Tessta Water Sharing Treaty, would get importance in their meetings. The chair of ninth GFMD civil society days Collin Raja will place the report on GFMD 2016 civil society and another report on GFMD business mechanism will be placed in today’s GFMD summit.
In the second session, senior adviser, special representative of the UN Secretary General for international migration, Francois Fouinat, will deliver the speech. Besides, Lakshmi Puri, Deputy Executive Director, UN Women, representing the Chair of the Global Migration Group [GMG], Guy Ryder, Director General, International Labour Organization [ILO], Ambassador William Lacy Swing, Director General, International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Wu Hongbo, Under Secretary General, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, representing the Secretary General of the United Nations, will address the session.
In the plenary session, Foreign Secretary Md. Shahidul Haque, who is also Chair of GFMD 2016, will give welcome remarks. Besides, Secretary of Ministry for Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Begum Shamsun Nahar will address the session.
The Special Representative of UN Secretary-General (SRSG) for International Migration Justin MacDermott will place the keynote speech, according to sources.
The sudden postponement of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s India visit has triggered widespread speculation in the diplomatic circle as none of the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry and Indian External Affairs Ministry has explained the reason formally.
The new date is not announced yet. This will be the first tour to India by Sheikh Hasina after Narendra Modi came to power.
Foreign Ministry sources said Hasina apparently wanted to be sure about the signing of the Teesta Water Sharing Treaty, which is now at stake, during her visit.
Diplomatic sources said the death of Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalitha,
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s possible China visit, and the ongoing political crisis over demonetization were factors for the postponement of Hasina’s India visit.
The Indian administration is now very busy with the above issues and for that reason, the Teesta Water Sharing Treaty could get less importance from the South Block, and Dhaka does not want to make it a sideline issue, the diplomatic sources said. Indian newspaper The Telegraph reported that, a clash in schedules of Modi and Hasina has made her postpone her visit till fresh dates can be mutually worked out, two Bangladeshi officials said.
“There is a particular reason why dates are not announced,” Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said. “Dates are not announced because the schedules have not yet matched.” But Swarup suggested India was still hopeful of a visit by Hasina “as early as possible”. The President of Tajikistan, Emamoli Rahmon, is now scheduled to visit from December 14-18. Rahmon will spend the first three days of his trip in Kerala before flying to New Delhi for talks with Modi.
The Indian Bengali daily Anandabazar quoting an official of Bangladesh High Commission reported that the tour was postponed because the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s schedule was pact due Victory Day.
Meanwhile, Indian State Minister for External Affairs Ministry M J Akbar is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka to attend the ninth summit of global forum on migration and development [GFMD] to be held at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre today [Saturday].
In the occasion, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to give inaugural address while Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali will deliver welcome speech. Besides, Expatriate and Overseas Employment Minister Nurul Islam and LGRD Minister Khandker Mosarraf Hossain will be present there as distinguished guests.
Although, the Indian State Minister is in Dhaka to attend GFMD, his tour is getting high importance in the diplomatic circle against the backdrop of sudden postponement of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s planned India visit.
During his stay, M.J. Akabr is likely to meet PM Sheikh Hasina, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, PM’s foreign adviser Gawher Rizvi and state minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam. There is widespread speculation that, the postponement of Hasina’s India tour and some other bilateral issues, including Tessta Water Sharing Treaty, would get importance in their meetings. The chair of ninth GFMD civil society days Collin Raja will place the report on GFMD 2016 civil society and another report on GFMD business mechanism will be placed in today’s GFMD summit.
In the second session, senior adviser, special representative of the UN Secretary General for international migration, Francois Fouinat, will deliver the speech. Besides, Lakshmi Puri, Deputy Executive Director, UN Women, representing the Chair of the Global Migration Group [GMG], Guy Ryder, Director General, International Labour Organization [ILO], Ambassador William Lacy Swing, Director General, International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Wu Hongbo, Under Secretary General, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, representing the Secretary General of the United Nations, will address the session.
In the plenary session, Foreign Secretary Md. Shahidul Haque, who is also Chair of GFMD 2016, will give welcome remarks. Besides, Secretary of Ministry for Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Begum Shamsun Nahar will address the session.
The Special Representative of UN Secretary-General (SRSG) for International Migration Justin MacDermott will place the keynote speech, according to sources.
