Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi are scheduled to hold bilateral talks in New Delhi today.
Key topics in the bilateral meeting include the Teesta development project, water sharing of common rivers, renewal of the 1996 Ganges Water Sharing Treaty, and rail connectivity of India鈥檚 north-eastern states through Bangladesh, according to officials.
Sheikh Hasina reached New Delhi Friday afternoon for a two-day visit at the invitation of Narendra Modi, her second trip to India in less than 15 days following the Bharatiya Janata Party鈥檚 third consecutive term in office.
鈥業t is a very important visit for us. Both sides have a lot of expectations because the relationship is so special and friendly,鈥� said Indian external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal at a weekly media briefing in New Delhi on Friday, as reported by United News of Bangladesh.
This visit marks Sheikh Hasina鈥檚 first bilateral meeting with Narendra Modi after her fourth consecutive term as prime minister, following the January 7 general election. Earlier, she attended Narendra Modi鈥檚 third-term oath-taking ceremony on June 9.
A flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, carrying the prime minister and her entourage members, landed at Palam Airport in New Delhi at聽3:29pm (local time), reported Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha.
Sheikh Hasina was received by a high-level Indian delegation and Bangladesh high聽commissioner to India Md Mustafizur Rahman at the airport.
During the visit, the two prime ministers will have a t锚te-脿-t锚te followed by delegation-level talks. Dhaka and New Delhi are expected to sign several agreements and
memorandums of understanding to strengthen bilateral ties further. Also, discussions on a potential trade pact are anticipated, according to the BSS report.
On Saturday morning, a ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan will welcome Sheikh Hasina with both national anthems played. She will inspect the guard of honour and later, pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Raj Ghat.
Subsequently, Sheikh Hasina will head to Hyderabad House for the one-on-one meeting with Narendra聽Modi followed by delegation-level talks, witnessing the signing ceremony of MoUs and agreements. Afterward, both prime ministers will give press statements and attend a banquet luncheon, hosted by Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House, the BSS reported.
In the afternoon, Sheikh Hasina will call on India鈥檚 vice-president Jagdeep Dhankhar at his secretariat and later, meet president Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. She is scheduled to depart from Palam Airport, New Delhi at 6:00pm (Delhi time) on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight for Dhaka.
India recently expressed willingness to support a mega development plan on the trans-boundary River Teesta inside Bangladesh, a project where China had already shown interest and completed a survey for a $1 billion initiative.
The Teesta development project, water sharing of common rivers, including Teesta, and the renewal of the 30-year Ganges treaty, expiring in 2026, are high on the agenda, besides India鈥檚 interest in connectivity of north-eastern states through Bangladesh, trade, and defence partnerships, said foreign ministry officials.
鈥楬owever, there is little possibility of a breakthrough on the Teesta water-sharing treaty,鈥� they noted.
New Delhi has long foot-dragging on the Teesta water-sharing treaty with Dhaka, affecting lives and livelihoods in the Rangpur region.
The Teesta becomes nearly dry in the lean season due to unilateral upstream water withdrawal in India, while in monsoon, the river overflows, causing floods in Bangladesh as Indian authorities open the Gajoldoba barrage floodgates to offload water pressure. The absence of a water-sharing treaty between the duo has severely impacted biodiversity and agriculture in Bangladesh鈥檚 northern districts.
After finalising the draft of the Teesta deal, India backtracked on signing it just hours before the then-Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh鈥檚 arrival in Dhaka on September 6, 2011, citing objections from West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee.
Narendra Modi, like his predecessor, has repeatedly promised to conclude interim agreements on sharing the waters of seven trans-boundary rivers, especially the Teesta, amid requests from Sheikh Hasina.
India aims to develop an alternative railway network through Bangladesh to connect its northeast with the rest of the country, reducing reliance on the Siliguri Corridor, known as 鈥楥hicken鈥檚 Neck鈥� 鈥� a 22km wide strip bordered by Nepal and Bangladesh. The Indian railways will conduct a survey to select suitable project locations, according to a Times of India report published on June 16.