ZCZC
BSS-38
HASINA-MODI-STATEMENT
Teesta agreement expected in soonest possible time: Modi
NEW DELHI, Oct 5, 2019 (BSS) – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi today
said Indian stakeholders were working to ink the proposed Teesta deal in
soonest possible time as his visiting Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina
said Bangladesh keenly awaited for its early signing as agreed upon by both
the governments eight years ago.
“Prime Minister Modi informed (Sheikh Hasina) that his government is
working with all stakeholders in India for conclusion of the Agreement in
soonest possible,” read a joint statement issued after talks between the two
leaders in the Indian capital earlier today.
It said Modi’s comments came as the Bangladesh Prime Minister said the
people of Bangladesh awaited “early signing and implementation of the
Framework of Interim Agreement for sharing of the Teesta waters, as agreed
upon by both governments in 2011”.
According to the statement the two premiers simultaneously directed the
Joint Rivers Commission’s Technical Level Committee to expeditiously exchange
updated data and information and prepare the draft framework of Interim
Sharing Agreements for six other common rivers as well.
The remaining rivers, it said, were Manu, Muhuri, Khowai, Gumti, Dharla and
Dudhkumar and to firm up the draft framework of interim sharing agreement of
Feni River.
The Rohingya crisis also featured the Bangladesh premier’s meeting with
Modi who, the statement said, agreed on the need to expedite safe, speedy and
sustainable repatriation of the displaced persons to their homes in Myanmar’s
Rakhine State.
“They agreed on the need for greater efforts to be made to facilitate their
return, including by improving security situation and socio-economic
conditions in the Rakhine State of Myanmar,” said the 53-point statement.
The Indian premier, it said, appreciated Bangladesh’s generosity in
sheltering and providing humanitarian assistance to “forcibly displaced
persons from the Rakhine State of Myanmar”.
He said New Delhi would supply a fifth tranche of humanitarian assistance
to support Bangladesh government’s humanitarian efforts to shelter the
Rohingyas in temporary camps in Cox’s Bazar.
The tranche of aid, he said, would comprise tents, relief and rescue
material as well as one thousand sewing machines for skill development of
forcibly displaced women from Myanmar.
The statement pointed out that India by now completed a first project to
build 250 houses in Rakhine state and it was now preparing to implement
another set of socio-economic development projects in the area.
Sheikh Hasina conveyed Dhaka’s gratitude for India’s humanitarian
assistance since September 2017 to help meet the needs of the displaced
persons from Myanmar.
MORE/ASG/AHJ-GM/ARS/AR/2011 hrs