PM leaves for Dhaka on two-day Bangladesh visit

New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh this morning left for Dhaka on a two-day historic visit to Bangladesh, during which several important agreements were likely to be signed.
The visit is expected to open a new era of cooperation with the eastern neighbour with whom India shares over 400 km-long border surrounded by its north-eastern states. This the first bilateral visit by any Indian Prime Minister after a gap of 12 years, which would see the country inking some important agreements to resolve outstanding bilateral issues, but one of the most significant of these– the proposed Teesta water sharing accord–might not take place. The signing of the agreement has run into rough weather with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s reservations against some of its important provisions. The Prime Minister in a departure statement said India’s partnership with Bangladesh was important for the stability and prosperity of its own north-eastern region. He expressed the hope that his ensuing visit to Dhaka would lead to greater cooperation between the two countries in all areas of mutual concern. “Our partnership with Bangladesh is important for the stability and prosperity of own northeast region. It is a partnership which can have a profound positive impact on the South Asian region as a whole,” the Prime Minister said in a statement on the eve of his visit to Dhaka beginning tomorrow. “I will be visiting Bangladesh tomorrow at the invitation of Prime Minister of Bangladesh Her Excellency Sheikh Hasina. This will be my first bilateral visit to Bangladesh,” he said. During the visit, the two countries were expected to conclude “concrete agreements which will help us to elevate the level of our cooperation in the traditional areas of cooperation and to
develop cooperation in new areas,” Dr Singh said.