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JS body for better ties with India

Shakhawat Liton
A parliamentary body yesterday asked the government to take special efforts to improve diplomatic ties with India, as the committee believes relations with the next-door neighbour are at their lowest ebb.
The parliamentary standing committee on foreign ministry at a meeting stressed parliamentary initiatives side by side with diplomatic efforts to remove strains in the bilateral relations with India, sources said.
The committee decided to arrange visit of a parliamentary team to India to supplement the foreign ministry's efforts. It observed the government alone would not be able to improve ties with the biggest neighbour.
The parliamentary watchdog also asked the government to arrange regular visits of both the countries' delegations in various fields, including sports and culture, to strengthen people-to-people contact between the two countries.
The committee members again
criticised the government's "look east" foreign policy, saying the policy has been on paper, not in reality.
Explaining the "parliamentary efforts" to improve Dhaka-Delhi relations, Committee Chairman Ziaur Rahman Khan said they will seek permission from their Indian counterparts [parliamentary body] to visit India.
"If we are allowed to visit India, we will hold discussion with them [Indian lawmakers] and meet political leaders," he told reporters after the meeting.
Emphasising the need for peaceful relations with India, the committee chairman said, "The neighbouring countries are like our family members. If we cannot live with them in peace, then how can we improve relations with other countries in the world."
Reaz Rahman, adviser to the foreign ministry, told the meeting that the government would not say "yes" or "no" at this moment to the committee's recommendations on parliamentary team's visit to India.
"The government will examine the recommendations to see whether they can improve relations with India," a meeting source said quoting the adviser.
The parliamentary body started discussing the diplomatic relations with India at its April 27 meeting which observed that the relations had plunged into its lowest ebb. It discussed different issues including border tension, river linking project and push-in.
Both the ruling BNP and opposition Awami League members of the committee had expressed almost identical views on the current state of Dhaka-Delhi relations.
After yesterday's meeting, committee member and Awami League lawmaker Syed Ashraful Islam said parliament has to take initiative to improve relations with India which have deteriorated in the recent times.
The AL lawmaker demanded probe into the Indian allegations that Bangladesh has been harbouring with India at its April 27 meeting which observed that the relations had plunged into its lowest ebb. It discussed different issues including border tension, river linking project and push-in.
Both the ruling BNP and opposition Awami League members of the committee had expressed almost identical views on the current state of Dhaka-Delhi relations.
After yesterday's meeting, committee member and Awami League lawmaker Syed Ashraful Islam said parliament has to take initiative to improve relations with India which have deteriorated in the recent times.
The AL lawmaker demanded probe into the Indian allegations that Bangladesh has been harbouring Indian insurgents. "The government should not deny these allegations without any investigation," he told reporters.
Committee member and BNP lawmaker Mahbubur Rahman also said, "We should use parliament to improve the relations with India... The diplomatic relations with other countries in South Asia depend on the relations with India."
Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan was not present at the meeting.