Foreign adviser Iftekhar A Chowdhury yesterday said now is the right time for India and Bangladesh to seriously negotiate on issues, since India has accepted a greater responsibility in the relationship.

Expressing deep concerns regarding tire construction of dams and reservoirs in India that would deprive Bangladesh of crucial water resources, he said water sharing issues need to be addressed immediately to take tire relations forward.

'Both parties should realise that if there arc hills to climb, waiting would not make them any smaller,” Iftekhar said at the inau- gural session of the three-day 16th Bangladesh-India dialogue at Brae Inn in the capital.

The dialogue is organised by the Centre for Policy Dialogue, and India International Centre, while the session was chaired jointly by CPD Chairman Rehman Sobhan and former Indian diplomat Dev Mukherjee.

Iftekhar said the present goodwill between the two neighbours exists because of India's acceptance of a 'higher degree of responsibilities in the conduct of bilateral relations, often without reciprocity'.

He said the public opinion of India has improved in Bangladesh because of 'the understanding on the part of India of Bangladesh's need to evolve policies that would

enable her to live in concord with, but distinct from her larger neighbour’. •

Iftekhar added that sharing of river water and the issue of diverting waler from shared waterways, through Tipaimukh, arc areas of concern that need to be addressed.

"As a lower riparian country Bangladesh voices concern over the construction of reservoirs and dams in India and Nepal over the River Shaptakosi," he said.

The foreign adviser said removal of non-trade barriers and greater Bangladeshi access to Indian markets arc imperative to reduce the massive gap in bilateral trade.

He also asked both countries to work together on climate change.

Iftekhar called upon the Indian and Bangladeshi civil society participants in the dialogue, to make a greater contribution to crucial bilateral issues, such as energy and connectivity.

Dev Mukherjee, a former Indian high commissioner to Bangladesh, dismissed the water sharing issues, saying, "Personally I don't see any problem here in Bangladesh with regard to construction of dams or reservoirs in India and Nepal."

He however added that the two governments must realise, their relationship is mutually beneficial as "what is good for Bangladesh is good for India'. He said the motto must be used to drive the efforts on trade, investment, and connectivity.

Rehman Sobhan said both countries must cooperate on addressing shared concerns such as climate change and recurring flnods. He said the cooperation needs to be underpinned by a "collective security approach" both on bilateral and regional levels.

The dialogue will deal with disaster management, development of water resources, energy sectors, and cooperation in trade, investment and communications. The participants will deliver recommendations on the issues on the last day of the talks.