FROM PAGE 3

yet been formed in West Bengal, and what they think or what they will do is for them to say. It is not my job to read their minds.”

He added, “We hope that the agreement reached at that time can be considered again under the current circumstances. But we cannot just sit and wait for that. We have our own work to do.”

In September 2011, water resource ministers of both countries reached a consensus on the Teesta deal, expected to be signed during then Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh’s Dhaka visit.

It was blocked by opposition from then West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee. With the deal stalled, Bangladesh launched the “Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project,” later seeking Chinese assistance during Sheikh Hasina’s 2019 Beijing trip.

Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman yesterday flew to China on a three-day visit, the first since the BNP government took office.

He will meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to discuss trade, investment, and funding. Bangladesh will seek low-interest loans, extended repayment periods, and new investments.

A foreign ministry official said, “There have not been major Chinese investments in Bangladesh. The Chinese side was slow in taking up new initiatives since the events after the July uprising. Now that there’s a new political government, China is revamping its activities.”

On Monday, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson said Beijing attaches great importance to ties with Bangladesh and hopes to enhance political trust, deepen cooperation, and promote Belt and Road projects.

The spokesperson described the two countries as “friends, close neighbours and comprehensive strategic cooperative partners,” noting that relations have steadily progressed over five decades on the basis of mutual respect and equality.