PM leaves on two-day visit to Bangladesh

New Delhi, Sept 6 (PTI) Indian Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh left on a two-day visit to Bangladesh on Tuesday that is
expected to put bumpy bilateral ties in a new trajectory
through signing of deals in a range of sectors including
extradition of sentenced persons, connectivity, power,
exchange of enclaves and border management.
However, the visit has been clouded by the uncertainty
over the signing of an accord on sharing of waters of Teesta
River following strong reservations expressed by West Bengal
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who pulled out of the visit.
Diplomatic sources said the two countries are also
considering signing of a long-term framework agreement for
forging close bilateral relations.
Bangladesh and India had signed a 25-year Treaty of
Friendship, Cooperation and Peace on March 19, 1972. The two
governments, however, declined to renegotiate or renew the
treaty when it expired in 1997. The framework of agreement,
the sources said, will provide a structure, and identify
priorities of the relationship.
Singh had, in a statement on the eve of his departure for
Dhaka, outlined his agenda in Bangladesh-- security, boundary
issues, water resources, power connectivity, improvement of
border infrastructure, trade facilitation and economic
cooperation—and said efforts would be made to sustain and
build upon the "positive momentum".
During his visit, Singh will hold talks with his
Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina, call on President Zillur
Rahman and hold meetings with opposition leaders Begum Khaleda
Zia and Jatiya Party chief Hussain Muhammed Ershad, the former
military dictator.
Agreements on land boundary, water resources, market
access and power purchase are crucial for Bangladesh while
transit and security are prime concerns of India.
Giving security cooperation a leg-up, an extradition pact
is likely to be inked by the two sides in the presence of
Singh and Hasina after their talks in Dhaka tomorrow.
Top ULFA (United Liberation Front of Asom) leader Anup
Chetia, now in Bangladesh after having served out his
sentence, could be the first to sent back to India under the
new accord.
The two countries are likely to sign agreements,
protocols, and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) on
withdrawal of water from Feni River by India for a drinking
water project and a 20-year agreement on purchase of 250
megawatt (MW) of power by Bangladesh from India at a
preferential rate. Bangladesh might purchase another 250 MW
power at the international market rate.
The two countries are likely to sign a package protocol
under the 1974 Mujib-Indira Land Boundary Agreement which will
deal with five legacy issues -- exchange of enclaves and
adversely possessed land, demarcation of 6.5 kms of
un-demarcated border, allowing Bangladeshis to use "Tin Bigha
Corridor" for 24 hours, and finalisation of a strip map.
A likely MoU on trade liberalisation will allow duty-free
entry of several of the 61 Bangladeshi products, most of them
garments, to India. This will be signed under the Trade
Agreement between the two countries.
The maiden bilateral visit by Singh—and the first by an
Indian Prime Minister in 12 years-- aims at consolidating the
process set in motion during the landmark visit of Hasina to
India in January, 2010, to craft a new paradigm relations,
said Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai ahead of the visit.
In a statement prior to his departure for Dhaka, the
Prime Minister said India's partnership with Bangladesh was
important for the stability and prosperity of northeastern
states.
Significantly, Singh will be accompanied by chief
ministers of four northeastern states—Assam, Tripura,
Meghayala and Mizoram—in his trip to Dhaka.
A protocol on Protection of Royal Bengal Tiger in the
Sundarbans is also likely to be inked. Besides, the two
countries might sign an MoU on Preservation of Biodiversity in
the Sundarbans.
Bangladesh and India are also likely to sign MoUs on
cooperation on renewable energy, telecast of programmes of
Doordarshan and state-owned BTV, cooperation in fisheries
sector and cooperation between Dhaka University and Jawaharlal
Nehru University in New Delhi.
An accord on allowing transit to Nepal through Rohanpur
(Chapai Nawabganj) in Bangladesh and Singabad in India might
also be signed. There is also the possibility of signing of an
agreement on railway connectivity between Akhaura and
Agartala, alignment construction of which is nearing
completion.
India's pressing issue of transit is expected to be
signed under existing Trade Agreement between the two
countries. Under it, three separate protocols on use of
Chittagong and Mongla seaports of Bangladesh and roads and
railway are on the cards.
Both the countries would make arrangements for the use of
their waterways, roadways and railways for commerce between
the two countries for passage of goods between mainland India
to its northeastern states through Bangladeshi territory.
In the joint communiqué issued during Hasina's visit to
India on January 10-13 last year, it was agreed that
Bangladesh will allow India to use Mongla and Chittagong
seaports for movement of goods to and from that country
through road and rail.
The signing of a deal on land border, keeping in view the
spirit of the 1974 Land Boundary Agreement, will include
demarcation of 6.5 km un-demarcated border, exchange of 162
enclaves (51 Bangladesh's and 111 India's), exchange of
adversely possessed lands, and allowing Bangladeshis to travel
24 hours between Dahagram-Angarpota enclaves and Patgram
through the "Tin Bigha Corridor".
As per the 1974 Mujib-Indira agreement, India will retain
the southern half of South Berubari Union No 12 and the
adjacent enclaves measuring 2.64 square miles approximately,
and in exchange Bangladesh will retain Dahagram and Angarpota
enclaves.
India will lease in perpetuity to Bangladesh an area
of 178 metres x 85 metres "Tin Bigha Corridor" to connect
Dahagram with Panbari Mouza (PS Patgram) of Bangladesh.
At present, Bangladeshis in Dahagram and Angarpota
enclaves are allowed to mainland Bangladesh from dawn to dusk
every alternate hour.