‘Will do my best to ink Teesta treaty’

Visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday said he will do his best to ink the treaty with Bangladesh on water sharing of Teesta and other common rivers with India.

Modi came up with the assurance while meeting with a four-member delegation of Jatiya Party at a hotel in the capital.

Opposition leader Raushan Ershad, deputy leader of the opposition and JP chairman GM Quader, JP secretary general Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu and JP co-chairman Ruhul Amin Hawlader were present at the 25-minute meeting that started around 1pm.

The JP delegation raised the longstanding issue of resolving the water-sharing of Teesta and other 54 common rivers with India, and urged Modi to take effective measures to resolve the issue.

"I have already made commitment on inking treaty on water sharing of Teesta river. Discussions at technical level is going on in this regard. We also want the treaty to be signed," Bablu quoted Modi as saying.

The JP leaders also requested the Indian PM to introduce visa on arrival opportunity for Bangladeshi citizens, increase people to people connectivity, GM Quader told The Daily Star.

He said the JP leaders requested Modi to increase scholarship for Bangladeshi students.

"We will do whatever necessary for our friendly country Bangladesh," GM Quader quoted Modi as saying.