Zia stresses political goodwill between Dhaka, Delhi
By IANSFriday, December 18, 2009
DHAKA - As Bangladesh prepares for summit level talks with India, opposition leader and former prime minister Khaleda Zia has called for “political goodwill” to resolve issues between the South Asian neighbours.
“We want good relations with India. If the unresolved issues between the two countries were settled, the relations would be strengthened and increased,” Zia, a two-term prime minister (1991-96 and 2001-06), told the outgoing Indian envoy Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty Thursday.
Chakravarty, who moves on to another ambassadorial assignment, was with Zia for 45 minutes.
“Only political goodwill can settle the unresolved issues and we expect India would show such attitude,” Zia was quoted as saying by her aide Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, New Age newspaper reported Friday.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is likely to visit India on a three day visit beginning Jan 10.
Zia has been critical of the Sheikh Hasina government for seeking to reverse many policies pertaining to India.
Among them is Dhaka’s decision to join the Asian Superhighway and the UN-sponsored rail network that link Bulgaria in Europe with Bangkok in Southeast Asia.
Zia, who visited India as prime minister in 2006, has repeatedly warned Hasina against what she calls ’surrender’ on issues like providing transit facilities through Bangladesh to let India reach its northeastern region.
