BSS, Dhaka :
Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Dr. Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury has underscored the need for resolving several pending issues between Bangladesh and India through negotiation.
“Bangladesh and India has several issues to be resolved through negotiations. Issues were there in the past, and the same will be in future. But bilateral discussion is the continuous process,” she said.
She said this on Monday while speaking at a roundtable in the Indian capital of New Delhi on Monday.
Delhi Policy Group, a leading think tank in India, arranged the roundtable titled “India Bangladesh Bilateral Relations”.
Resolving the Ganges water sharing issue with India thru talks as a milestone, the Speaker opined that other issues like Teesta water treaty, Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) or border tension issues can be resolved following the same process.
Dr Shirin said that though parliamentarians are not usually directly involved in bilateral or multilateral talks, incorporation of their views in such talks is a must in a democratic system.
“Discussion in the parliaments prior to resolving the bilateral issues helps in involving the constituents in this process and helps in enhancing people to people friendship,” she said.
She also opined that the issues can be put before the parliament, the parliamentarians can be apprised of such issues beforehand and they can be supplied with proper research reports formulated by the think tanks.
“In such a way, a vibrant discussion in the parliament can be ensured. Critical issues can be discussed in the standing committees prior to the placement in parliament,” she said.
The Speaker said that issue-based research findings can be useful for the parliamentarians to discuss in their parliaments in the way to formulating bilateral or multi-lateral treaties.
In formulating the policies, she said, the parliamentarians would not be discussed before, but now the scenario is changing.
“In the UN system now the parliamentarians are being discussed with before formulating development goals like Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” she said.
She also advocated that in the course of bilateral talks, the parliamentarians can have participation. “Think tanks’ expert details on technical or methodical issues like ICT can contribute in capacity building of MPs,” she said.
The Speaker said parliament to parliament cooperation and exchange can play a vital role in resolving bilateral tensions as well as in enhancing people to people friendship.
