'We won't harm Bangladesh's interests'

 Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday assured Bangladesh that India would do nothing inimical to its interests on the issue of waters, and said he intends to take the Indo-Bangla Land Boundary Agreement to Parliament for ratification. 

Singh, who met Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni, told her that on no issue would India harm Bangladesh's interests. But on the long-pending Teesta river water-sharing issue, the government is seeking a national consensus. 

“Singh apprised Moni of India's vision on water resources, and assured that nothing inimical to Bangladesh's interests would be done. He suggested that Bangladesh join as a stakeholder in the Tipaimukh project,” said official sources.

The issue of the land boundary agreement, which also envisages swapping of each other's territories spread across 161 adversely-held conclaves, was also raised. Singh recognised that India is to ratify it, and said, “We intend to take it to Parliament,” said the sources. The Teesta water-sharing deal was scuppered by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's last-minute opposition in September 2011 and her pulling out of the Prime Minister's entourage to Dhaka on an official visit.  

Moni also met Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley and discussed water and boundary issues. 

Emerging from the meeting, Moni said Jaitley told her that he would consult his party colleagues and firm up a response on both water and boundary issues.

“We must be able to resolve these two issues (Teesta water-sharing and land boundary deal) and put them behind us. We now have a good opportunity to do so, and it will be good not only for India and Bangladesh but for the entire neighbourhood,” she said.

The sources said that during her meeting with the Prime Minister, Moni also noted that there had been enormous progress in bilateral relations since the visit of the Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina here in January 2010 and Singh's visit to Bangladesh in September 2011.

There was also a discussion on Indian assistance to Bangladesh. The $1-billion line of credit by India to Bangladesh has been flowing in a satisfactory manner, including the $200-million grant, of which $150 million has already been provided to Bangladesh.