DHAKA, Oct 20, 2022 (BSS) - Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury today urged 
media of both Bangladesh and India to play constructive role in further 
improving Dhaka-Delhi ties. 

She made the remarks while addressing the inaugural of a seminar titled "Role 
of Bangladesh-India Relations: Challenges and Prospects" organised by the 
Jatiya Press Club (JPC) at its auditorium today.

The speaker said the two neighbours have signed numbers of instruments on 
social, economic, maritime and environmental cooperation while media can play 
its positive role to promote deepen the bilateral relations between 
Bangladesh and India.  

Chaudhury said Dhaka and New Delhi had addressed many critical issues in the 
past years like demarcation of maritime and land boundaries, but still there 
pending issues to be improved. 

Journalists from India and Bangladesh attended the seminar. 

The Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anam expresses deep gratitude to the 
contribution of Indian government and people for their support to the 
Bangladeshis during 1971.

He said media need to play its due role as Bangladesh and India ties is 
people based relation. 

He said Bangladesh has rightly addressed the security concerns of India and 
it should continue to do so. 

"Bangladesh has showed its commitment to India on security front," he said. 

Anam stressed on addressing the water sharing issue specially signing of long 
pending Teesta water sharing treaty. 

"We can understand internal complicity of India, but we are also an 
independent and sovereign country ... how long we have to wait for it (Teesta 
deal)?" he said. 

He suggested establishing a Bangladesh-India bilateral relations study Centre 
for better understanding of the issues that can guide the authorities for 
deepening the relation between the two countries. 

Indian Journalists' Union President Geetartha Pathan said Bangladesh and 
India share common history and culture. 

Though the two countries addressed many problems, some issues like water 
sharing are still not progressing much.

He said as a lower riparian country, Bangladesh has the right to have equal 
water of the common rivers but that is not being achieved. 

JPC president Farida Yasmin and general secretary Elias Khan also spoke, 
among others.