CEPA, Teesta, cross-border energy deals may top talks

Comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA), cross- border water and energy deals, Myanmar situation, and border killing may dominate a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.
Prime Minister Hasina is likely to fly for Delhi again on June 21 for full-fledged bilateral talks with the re-elected Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.
According to diplomatic sources, preparations are going on for the tour which may take place on June 21-23.
The prime minister visited Delhi last week, from June 8 to 10, to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Mr Modi, who is elected prime minister of India for a third consecutive term in a crucial general election.
It is learnt that the June-21 visit was scheduled before her June-8 trip, but foreign ministry officials then hinted that she was unlikely to visit Delhi twice within such a short span of time.
"We were given the impression that this bilateral meeting will take place after September but, somehow, it is now changed and preparations started for her visit on June 21 again," an official of the foreign ministry said.
The official added: since the first sitting of the Indian parliament will take place on June 23, the visit should be concluded by then.
According to experts, the two serial visits in a month will reflect "the depth of the ties between the two countries as such example is rare".
India wants early implementation of the CEPA by completing the negotiations quickly.
Bangladesh is keen to have a tripartite deal for importing energy from Nepal and Bhutan through using Indian grid--and it will be discussed in the bilateral talks.
"Moreover, the long-pending Teesta water-sharing deal and the renewal of the Ganges Water Sharing Agreement will also be our priority," an official of the foreign ministry said.
Bangladesh will also raise the issue of border killing, as shootings on the frontier took an upturn over again in recent times.
Since the situation in Myanmar is affecting both Bangladesh and India, the countries will discuss how to stop the influx of Rohingya and others from Myanmar into Bangladesh India.
Also, progress on the Indian Line of Credit projects, security cooperation, and regional issues will be included in the agenda, officials said.
Former State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam Friday said, "The Teesta deal was well-argued, well-negotiated and finalised at the secretary level and any change would mean that both countries had failed to respect their primarily agreed document."
Addressing a meet he noted that if the Teesta issue is not resolved, the food basket of Bangladesh might change. "Irrigation using groundwater is not sustainable environmentally."

[email protected]