DHAKA, Aug 4, 2019 (BSS) – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is likely to visit
India in October as her maiden visit to New Delhi after assuming office for
the third consecutive term earlier this year, Foreign Minister Dr A K Momen
said here today.
“We are expecting the visit to take place in first week of October …. we
will fix the date and agenda after Indian External Affairs Minister S
Jaishankar’s (planned) Dhaka tour later this month,” he told BSS this
evening.
Momen said his Indian counterpart was set to arriving in Dhaka on August 20 on a
two-day visit and Dhaka and New Delhi would accomplish some formalities
regarding his visit.
Asked what would be the agenda of the two premiers meeting, the foreign
minister said the foreign ministries of the two countries would prepare the
agenda covering all bilateral and regional issues including sharing of water
in 54 common rivers and the Teesta in particular.
“In principle we agreed (to sign the Teesta agreement) … but it is
being delayed due to objection of West Bengal,” he said.
Momen, however, said Dhaka was always hopeful about the deal but
simultaneously feared it could be delayed further until the Indian central
government reached a consensus with the West Bengal state government. He said
the Rohingya crisis was also likely to be an issue of the summit while New
Delhi by now conveyed Dhaka that the repatriation process should start
immediately.
“I am confident the process of repatriation will be soon,” he said adding
that major Myanmar allies including India, China and Japan extended their
effective support to Bangladesh.
Momen said he recent met the Indian foreign minister in Bangkok who said
New Delhi already talked to Myanmar’s government and particularly its
military authorities and urged them to bring back Rohingyas in soonest
possible time.
“The Indian foreign minister told me to start the process of repatriation
as early as possible,” he said.
Referring to meetings with his Chinese and Japanese counterparts, Momen
said all of them wanted to see Rohingya’s return to Rakhine.
Earlier at his office during an interaction with newsmen, Momen said his
office was working to bring back one or two self declared fugitive killers of
Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman from Canada or the USA
before Bangabandhu’s birth centenary by this year.
“We want to bring back one or two (fugitive killers) by this year,” he
said.