Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on her visit to Agartala in Tripura appealed to India to be more generous and considerate in promoting friendship between the two countries. India can help Bangladesh in water management, power, transport and communication, IT and health services, she said. That will usher in development not only in Bangladesh but also in Northeastern India. She made no reference to the Teesta standoff last year which put on hold a treaty to share the river’s water. Hasina told business leaders in Agartala that her country had allowed ONGC’s heavy machinery and equipment to pass through Bangladesh last year. Dhaka wants a share of the power to be generated by the project. India invited Bangladesh to invest in hydel-power projects in the Northeast. Such joint ventures would resolve the power crisis in both Bangladesh and the Northeast. Reference was made to the Tipalmukh hydroelectric project in Manipur. Hasina said that her government was trying to put in place a mechanism in which India would be able to access the Chittagong and Mongla seaport and the Ashuganj river port. India may be allowed to transship goods when proper conditions are created. Hasina mentioned the Kolkata-Dhaka bus and rail link and the Agartala-Dhaka bus service which have been set up. The Akharuya-Agartala rail link is on the way.
Hasina’s visit to Agartala may go a long way in furthering relations between Bangladesh and the Northeast. Tripura played a big role in the liberation war in 1971 which Mujib’s daughter is not likely to forget. Many Northeastern states like Tripura have long borders with Bangladesh. The latter may help considerably in stamping out cross-border terrorism, smuggling, illegal migration and violations of peace on the India-Bangladesh border.
