"Let's not look back in rear view mirror: says Khaleda Zia

"This marks a new beginning and let's not look back in the rear view mirror," was the message conveyed by chief of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Khaleda Zia in her meetings with the top leadership here, signalling a change in BNP's anti-India stance.

Zia, who arrived on Sunday for a week-long visit at the invitation of the External Affairs Ministry, was the first foreign dignitary to meet newly-appointed Salman Khurshid as External Affairs Minister and hold talks on a range of key bilateral issues, including activities of insurgent groups, Teesta water sharing and border mangement.

Giving details of her meetings with the Prime Minister and Khurshid, official spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs said her visit was part of India's ongoing engagement with a democratic and multi-party polity in Bangladesh.

It also provided an opportunity to exchange views on the mattes of mutual interest and would also build positive momentum in relations between the two neighbouring countries.
He said the former Bangladesh Prime Minister also reiterated her assurance that she and her party will not allow Bangladeshi soil to be used for anti-India acts.

Zia's BNP has maintained an anti-India stance since its inception as a political entity and New Delhi is keen to mend fences with her in the run up to the general elections in Bangladesh in 2013-end.

On its part, the Indian side told her that the government was in the process of evolving an internal consensus on Teesta water-sharing issue and also assured her that India will put in place every mechanism to check incidents of border killings.