Dhaka: Opposition leader and former premier
Khaleda Zia on Wednesday expressed frustration over the failure to
ink a pact on sharing of waters of common rivers between India
and Bangladesh as she met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here.
The agreement on river water sharing, which was supposed
to be an important component of Singh`s visit, was postponed
at the last minute due to objections from West Bengal Chief
Minister Mamata Banerjee, and the development ruffled many a
feather in Bangladesh.
Zia called on Singh on the last day of his visit and made
plain her disappointment.
"She (Zia) said she was upset as there has been no
substantial progress in sharing the waters of common rivers,"
BNP vice-chairman Shamser Mobin Chowdhury told newsmen after
the meeting.
He said the Prime Minister "regretted and assured" the
Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson that the river water
issues "will be settled soon on priority basis through
discussions".
Zia, he said, also requested the Prime Minister to keep a
scope for future changes in the deals that have been signed
during his visit so that the agreements may be revised in
future if deemed necessary in the interests of both countries.
During her 25-minute meeting with Singh, the opposition
leader told him that BNP wanted a sustainable long-term
relationship with India.
"BNP always wants to maintain warm relations with India.
But all the deals must be signed on the basis of equity and
special attention has to be given on sensitive issues. We
expected deals on common rivers` water sharing," he quoted her
as telling Singh.
PTI
