New Delhi:
Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman might visit India in late November or early December as both countries engage in discussions through existing bilateral mechanisms for the renewal of the Ganga Water Sharing Treaty which expires on December 12, NDTV has learnt. No official comment has been made by India or Bangladesh about dates of the visit.
However, the possibility of Rahman's visit to India hinges on the conclusion of the discussions as Bangladesh is keen to project the successful renegotiation of the Ganga Water Sharing Treaty as a victory of the Tarique Rahman government.
Earlier this month, Bangladesh's Water Resources Minister Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee expressed hope that a new treaty with India will be signed before December 12.
"Restoring the guarantee clause, as in the 1977 agreement, is one of Bangladesh's top priorities in the new treaty," Anee said after a seminar titled "Rethinking the Future of Water: Youth Leadership, Justice and Cooperation," United News of Bangladesh (UNB) reported.
The Ganga Water Sharing Treaty is a 30-year bilateral agreement between India and Bangladesh signed on December 12, 1996, by Prime Ministers HD Deve Gowda and Sheikh Hasina. It governs the sharing of the Ganges River waters at the Farakka Barrage in West Bengal during the lean season from January 1 to May 31 every year.
India's High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi has said that India's invitation to Rahman for a visit remains valid and there is no need to rush the trip.
Tarique Rahman to visit Japan next week
The update on the timeline of Rahman's official visit to India comes as he is scheduled to visit Japan next week, from October 26 to 29. This would be his fourth official overseas visit after he went to Malaysia, China and the United States for the United Nations General Assembly in New York earlier this year.
Rahman will visit Japan at the invitation of his Japanese counterpart Sanae Takaichi to strengthen bilateral ties and expand economic cooperation between the two nations, state-run news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sanstha (BSS) reported.
Tarique Rahman will hold bilateral talks with Takaichi in Tokyo on October 27, Bangladesh's Foreign Secretary and High Commissioner-Designate to India Asad Alam Siam told journalists. The Japanese premier will also host a luncheon in his honour, he added.
Bangladesh and Japan expect to sign more than four memorandums of understanding (MoUs) during Rahman's visit and issue a joint statement outlining the outcomes and future direction of bilateral cooperation.
The proposed documents seek to expand cooperation in agriculture, fisheries, human resource development, skills enhancement, civil aviation, trade, environmental conservation and local government modernisation, BSS reported.
Tarique Rahman is also expected to visit energy and industrial installations, an LNG terminal and power plant, a nuclear facility and a Toyota plant in Nagoya. The Bangladesh Prime Minister will deliver the keynote address at the Japan-Bangladesh Economic Forum during his visit.
Japan has supported Bangladesh in building major projects such as Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport's Third Terminal and infrastructure development in Matarbari.