India, B'desh ink 1st water sharing pact in 25 years; Hasina hopeful about Teesta
New Delhi: India and Bangladesh on Tuesday signed seven Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina to further strengthen relations between the two neighbouring countries.
During the second day of Hasina's visit, these agreements were signed after delegation-level talks were held at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi, which featured talks on connectivity, energy, water resources, trade, border management, security and development partnership.
Later, PM Modi and Hasina witnessed the exchange of seven MoUs in the key areas of water resources, capacity building, railway, science and technologies.
It started with an MoU between the Ministry of Railways (Railway Board), Government of India and the Ministry of Railways, Government of Bangladesh on the training of Bangladesh Railway personnel in India. This will include conducting seminars, workshops, and classroom and field training. The Indian Railways will also coordinate with officials in the neighbouring country as required, including visiting and assisting in setting up and improving training facilities in Bangladesh and study requirements, officials said.
Another MoU between the Ministry of Railways (Railway Board), Government of India and the Ministry of Railways, Government of Bangladesh on collaboration in IT systems such as FOIS and other similar applications for Bangladesh Railway also took place. This will include information technology solutions for all aspects of the Bangladesh Railway — computerisation of passenger ticketing, freight operation and control office, train inquiry system, digitisation of asset management, human resource and finance infrastructure — through the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS). An announcement was also made that India would supply road construction equipment and machinery in 25 packages to the road and highways department of the Bangladesh government.
Adding to this, an MoU was signed between India's Ministry of Jal Shakti and Ministry of Water Resources, Government of Bangladesh, on the withdrawal of water by India and Bangladesh from the common border river Kushiyara — a pact that will benefit people residing in southern Assam and the Sylhet division of Bangladesh.
"Today, we have signed an important agreement on sharing water of the Kushiyara river. This will benefit southern Assam in India and Sylhet region in Bangladesh," Modi told reporters.
Meanwhile, water sharing is a diplomatic issue as the Ganges and the Brahmaputra enter Bangladesh from West Bengal and Assam. Called Padma and Jamuna in Bangladesh, these rivers accumulate water from the hundreds of rivers that snake through the riverine nation. Access to water from the Teesta river, which is important for irrigation in north-west Bangladesh, is a contested issue as well.
Modi mentioned: "There are 54 rivers that traverse the India-Bangladesh border and have historically been a part of the livelihood of people in both nations. The songs and tales about these rivers are also a symbol of our unique, shared cultural traditions."
"India will continue to share real-time data on water flow and flood with Bangladesh," he added. Sheikh Hasina said: "We are two neighbouring nations, and there may often be certain issues between two nations, but we have set an example by solving many issues through clear discussions." Another MoU between the National Judicial Academy, India and the Supreme Court of Bangladesh on the training and capacity building programme for Bangladesh judicial officers in India was signed during the meeting.
An MoU on scientific and technological cooperation between the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India and Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), Bangladesh was also signed.
Another MoU on cooperation in the areas of space technology was signed, along with an MoU between the Prasar Bharti and Bangladesh Television (BTV) on cooperation in broadcasting, with an extension of three years of the old treaty, India's Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said while addressing the media persons.
Other important projects were also unveiled during the meeting, including Unit I of the Maitree power plant.
1320 (660x2) MW supercritical coal-fired thermal power plant at Rampal, Khulna is being set up at an estimated cost of approximately $2 billion with $1.6 billion as Indian Development Assistance under the Concessional Financing Scheme.
Another important project that was inaugurated — the Rupsha bridge — the 5.13 km Rupsha rail bridge is a key part of the 64.7 km Khulna-Mongla Port single track broad gauge rail project, connecting for the first time Mongla Port with Khulna by rail, and thereafter to Central and North Bangladesh and also to the India border at Petrapole and Gede in West Bengal.
Another project was announced on the supply of road construction equipment and machinery, consisting of the collection of road maintenance and construction equipment and machinery in 25 packages to the Bangladesh Road and Highways Department.
A Khulna-Darshana railway line link project was also unveiled during the delegation-level talks. The project is the upgradation of existing (doubling of broad gauge) infrastructure linking the current cross-border rail link at Gede-Darshana to Khulna thereby augmenting the rail connections between the two countries, especially to Dhaka, but also in future to Mongla Port. The project cost is estimated at $312.48 million.
Another Parbatipur-Kaunia railway line was also inaugurated by the two heads of state of India and Bangladesh. The conversion of the existing metre gauge line to the dual gauge line project is estimated at $120.41 million. The project will connect the existing cross-border rail at Birol (Bangladesh)-Radhikapur (West Bengal) and will enhance bilateral rail connectivity.
Following the bilateral talks with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India and Bangladesh should jointly face terrorist and fundamentalist forces that threaten to attack mutual trust between the two countries.
Further, India supports all efforts toward the repatriation of Rohingyas to Myanmar. Foreign Secretary Kwatra informed press persons here that there has been a global appreciation of Bangladesh's role in giving them refuge. "India has sent relief material to Bangladesh for Rohingya refugees from Myanmar. We are aware of the Rohingya issue... We have also provided financial help. In the future, whatever assistance is required, the Government of India will give," Kwatra said. Bangladesh has in the past faced a significant influx of Rohingya from Myanmar's Rakhine state. Answering a question about minorities in Bangladesh, Kwatra further said there is a continuous conversation between the two countries and the Bangladesh government, privately and in public, has conveyed that they are committed to the safety of minorities in the country.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina embarked on her four-day visit to India on Monday afternoon. Hasina also met President of India Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday. The President was happy to note that Bangladesh has achieved great success in the socio-economic prosperity of its people.
She said: "Our relations have always been guided by the spirit of cooperation and mutual trust. The pandemic and the current international situation demand that India and Bangladesh remain more economically connected to deal with the global crisis." She further expressed confidence that with this visit, the relations between the two countries will further mature and develop.
