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Let's forget past, look forward

Resolve Dhaka, Delhi

REZAUL KARIM
Bangladesh and India at their foreign ministry-level meeting yesterday agreed to remove the irritants in bilateral ties through dialogues and work together to harness the enormous potentials for mutual benefits.
The meeting between Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan and Indian External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh at state guesthouse Meghna discussed the entire range of bilateral issues, with special emphasis on trade, water sharing, border management, UN reforms, cross-border terrorism, illegal migration, extradition agreement, and tri-nation gas pipeline.
"Talks were very fruitful. We have placed everything on the table and discussed in a very frank and candid atmosphere," Morshed Khan, accompanied by his Indian counterpart Natwar Singh, told a crowded joint news conference at state guesthouse Padma.
"My first visit to Bangladesh has
been a useful and eventful one. We discussed in details all mutual issues and had wide-ranging exchange on differences of opinion and the great potential that exists between the two countries," Natwar Singh said.
Both the countries agreed to look forward forgetting the past and said that "95 percent" of problems can be resolved through dialogues on the basis of mutual trust and understanding.
However, the two sides still stuck to their old stances on some critical irritants, especially trade imbalance, border and insurgency issue, illegal migration and extradition treaty.
Singh said they proposed a high level meeting to discuss the issue of "illegal immigrants from Bangladesh".
Bangladesh side called for rapid implementation of border guidelines of 1975.
Bangladesh expressed concern over the border fencing that is seen
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as a defense structure within 150 yards of the zero line while India said the fencingis not a defense structure.
On the signing of extradition treaty earlier proposed by India, Shyam Sharan said, "We hope this will be considered and signed soon."
About reducing huge trade imbalance of US $1.5 billion, Bangladesh side stressed the need of removal of non-tariff and para-tariff barriers.
The Indian side said the issue would be taken up at the upcoming commerce minister-level meeting of the two countries.
However, Shyam Saran said India decided to recognise the standardization certificate issued by Bangladesh aboutits exportable items.
A bilateral Free Trade Agreement could help resolve the problem by increasing the volume of trade, he added.
Bangladesh side stressed the need for development of land ports in Indian sides including at Banglabandha, Phulbari and Petrapole to facilitate the border trade that the Indian side agreed.
Welcoming more investment from India, Dhaka said negotiations on US $2.5 billion Tata investment is progressing well and a definite outcome will emerge soon.
Bangladesh expressed concern over India's inter-river linking project and said it would badly affect the country's ecology and agriculture.
The Indian side said the project is still at a conceptual stage and they would not do anything without any consultation with Bangladesh.
India agreed to exchange information and data about flood and weather forecasting with Bangladesh thrice a day through e-mail.
The two sides discussed crossborder terrorism and extradition of criminals during yesterday's talks.
Foreign Secretary Hemayetuddin said Bangladesh is concerned over Bangladeshi hardened criminals' taking shelter in India as well as antiBangladesh campaign by certain groupsin India.
The Indian foreign minister assured that they would take up the matter with authorities concerned.
Bangladesh reiterated her stand on not allowing any terrorist group operating from the country against its neighbour.
Dhaka also submitted specific information about smuggling of drugs including phensidyl from India and the Indian foreign minister assured of taking steps againstit.
India solicited Bangladesh's support to the United Nations (UN) reforms as well as India's candidature as a permanent member of the expanded UN Security Council.
Bangladesh side told the Indian side that being a facilitator on negotiation on UN reforms Dhaka cannot take any position in favour of or against any specific proposal, Hemayetuddin said.
The foreign ministers addressed the process of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) and expressed commitment to work together for further integration of regional cooperation in South Asia where a fifth of global population live, with over 15 per cent of the global poor.
The twice postponed Saarc summit is now set to be held in Dhaka on November 12-13 this year.
As the issue of not telecasting Bangladesh TV channels in India was raised during the talks, the Indian side assured that the authorities concerned will see the matter soon.
"We have agreed to work together to realise our common destiny. We've committed to strengthening our relations through dialogues based on mutual friendship, trust and understanding," the Indian External Affairs Minister told the reporters after the talks.
He saidin addition to the 100 Indian Council for Cultural Relations scholarships and an equal number of training opportunities under the Indian
Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme, 500 more scholarships will be offered to school students and 100 scholarships for undergraduates.
In 2003-04, India provided training to 250 Bangladeshi teachers, he said, adding, "We have decided to train 600 more Bangladeshi teachers over the next two years. We will also gift 620 computers to schoolsin Bangladesh."
There is a great potential for expanding the two-way trade and investment and cooperation in education, science and technology, Singh said.
Appreciating the opening of Dhaka-Agartala bus service, he sought multi-entry visas for Indian travellers and abolition of travel tax and said the two sides discussed the establishment of more bus services between Bangladesh and different states of India.
They agreed on the best management of border and checking illegal movements and activities from both sides that cause huge revenue losses for both the governments, he said.
He said the Indian side proposed a high-level meeting to discuss the illegal movement that the Bangladesh foreign minister agreed upon.
Singh also referred to the proposal for construction of the gas pipeline from Myanmar to India through Bangladesh.
"My colleague Priyaranjan Das will visit Dhaka at the end of the month to discuss cooperation in water resources," he said.
"Our discussions were marked by greater warmth and cordiality," said the Indian foreign minister.
Bangladesh Foreign Minister Morshed Khan said he emphasised the need for comprehensive cooperation between Bangladesh and India in the area of trade and investment, specially the need for narrowing the large imbalance of trade between the two countries.
Expressing happiness that the negotiations towards finalising the 2.5 billion dollar investment proposal from Tata was progressing well, he said Bangladesh will continue to welcome Indian businessmen to invest in Bangladesh.
Singh will call on Prime Minister Khaleda Zia this afternoon.
He would hand over a letter from Indian Premier Dr Manmohan Singh to Khaleda Zia inviting her to visit India, Natwar told reporters.
He is also due to meet with Leader of the Opposition Sheikh Hasina.
He will speak on Indo-Bangladesh dialogue at BRAC centre.
Earlier, upon arrival at the Zia International Airport, Natwar Singh was received by Foreign Secretary Hemayetuddin.
Gono Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD-Inu) President Hasanul Haq Inu called on visiting Indian External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh at his hotel suite yesterday.