Teesta deal likely to top agenda

Signing of the interim agreement on Teesta water sharing, not inked in September following India's last-minute decision, is expected to dominate talks between the Bangladesh and Indian premiers on the sidelines of the upcoming Saarc summit.
The 17th Saarc Summit is scheduled to be held at Addu Atoll of the Maldives from November 10 to 11.
Diplomatic sources said apart from bilateral meetings with other Saarc members, both countries are putting utmost importance on the meeting between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh, set for November 10 morning.
Hasina is expected to leave for the Maldives on November 9.
Though the Indian side assured of intensifying efforts in this regard, no such development was seen in the last two months. Hasina is likely to take the opportunity to ascertain the possibility of signing the deal from Singh, said official sources.
During Singh's visit to Dhaka from September 6 to 7, 10 agreements and MoUs were signed, including a Framework Agreement on Cooperation for Development, on boundary demarcation and the exchange of enclaves and adversely possessed land.
But the much-talked about and crucial Teesta Water Sharing Treaty was not signed following last-minute reservations by West Bengal (Paschimbanga) Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
During the Saarc meeting, their first since Singh's visit, a wide range of bilateral issues will come up for discussion, said foreign ministry officials yesterday.
The two leaders are expected to focus on progress in implementation of the key decisions taken during Singh's visit, when both countries issued a 65-point Joint Statement on September 7.
The premiers will also review the progress in implementing the 50-point Joint Communiqué issued during Hasina's January 2010 visit to India. Officials said many important decisions remain unimplemented.
So far, Hasina's meeting Singh, the Maldives' President Mohamed Nasheed and Nepalese Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai have been fixed for November 10, said foreign ministry officials.
Meetings with the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani and Bhutanese Prime Minister Jigme Yoser Thinley will be fixed in the next couple of days, they added.