Dhaka: Bangladeshi media on Tuesday gave
prominent coverage to the inking of "historic treaties"
between India and Bangladesh during Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina`s landmark visit to New Delhi which they said would
push the bilateral ties to a new plane.
Bangladesh promised not to allow its territory to be
used for terror against India as they signed three agreements
to jointly combat the menace while New Delhi announced a USD
one-billion line of credit to Dhaka.
The significant Line of Credit offered by Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh during talks with his Bangladesh
counterpart marked the highest one-time grant by India to
any country.
Mainstream Bangladeshi newspapers carried special
editorials and analysis on the future course of
Indo-Bangladesh ties.
The Janakantha newspaper carried a banner headline
titled `Historic Treaties` to describe the inking of the three
agreements and two MoU between the two neighbours.
The Jugantor carried its lead report titled "Three
agreements with India: Fruitful Hasina-Manmohan talks", a day
after it headlined its main report, saying "Possibilities of
changed course in relations".
The Daily Star expressed the hope that the visit would
take bilateral ties "to a new plane".
It hoped the visit "will see a change in bilateral
relations between our two countries that were marked by
suspicion and acrimony".
The entire gamut of bilateral ties, with particular
focus on terrorism, security, connectivity, trade and
investment, border-related issues and sharing of water and
power resources were covered at the wide-ranging talks between
Singh and Hasina in new Delhi.
"We hope a new beginning will dawn that will reflect a
shared attitude in which each country see to the welfare and
good of the other and contribute to their mutual well being,"
the Daily Star said.
It was time for "layers of mutual suspicion and
distrust created over time" to give way "to positive
atmospherics for a dramatic healing of sore points, resolution
of longstanding irritants?, the leading daily said yesterday
in an editorial titled `Expectations from Indo-Bangla summit:
Taking the relationship on to a new plane`.
The rightwing New Nation newspaper focused on ecomomic
gains from the Prime Minister`s visit. It carried an editorial
titled "Reducing trade imbalance".
Bilateral ties should be "repositioned on a more
sound, sustainable, progressive and result-oriented platform
than that at present" that should be "capable of meeting
challenges and harnessing opportunities," it said in an
article titled `Bangla-Indo relations: Lowering expectations
for magnifying gains`.
The New Age newspaper, which is perceived to be
critical of the ruling Awami League, said `Hasina seeks fair
share of water, trade`.
The Samakal daily carried its lead report under a
banner headline: `Commitment for countering terrorism and
economic development`. A front page analysis yesterday
underlined that "A single visit can open up golden gate of
possibilities".
PTI
