Dhaka, Delhi must settle issues: Gowher
There are hardly any issues between Bangladesh and India that cannot be resolved, said Foreign Affairs Adviser to the Prime Minister Gowher Rizvi.
“There are a large number of issues between Dhaka and New Delhi. Many have been solved but some remain,” he said, adding that the two countries must “clean the table of past baggage” to settle the remaining issues.
He told this while addressing a seminar on “Foreign Policy and Good Governance” organised by the Alumni Association of North South University on its campus yesterday.
Rizvi believes that the Indian and Bangladeshi prime ministers took some “calculated risks” in their recent meetings in New Delhi and Dhaka, where they looked towards long-term happiness of the people instead of immediate results.
“They spoke about the people and said whatever needs to be done should be done to reduce the sufferings of the people,” he said.
Many issues between Bangladesh and Myanmar remain unresolved, he said, adding that the present government is in talks with Myanmar for collaboration in different sectors.
The countries are talking about coastal trade, extension of railway services to Myanmar along with collaboration in defence, he said.
Addressing the seminar, former foreign minister M Morshed Khan said the sheer span of the border shared by Bangladesh and India shows that the two countries are destined to work together.
He suggested that the issues between the countries of South Asia should be looked upon from a sub-regional perspective.
Danish Ambassador Svend Olling, UN Resident Coordinator for Bangladesh Neal Walker, NSU Vice-Chancellor Hafiz GA Siddiqi also spoke on the occasion.
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