Zia cautions Hasina ahead of crucial India visit

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DHAKA - Bangladesh’s opposition leader Khaleda Zia Sunday extended cooperation to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on the even of her crucial visit to India but cautioned her principal political rival to keep “national interests” in mind.

Hasina leaves Sunday evening on a four-day visit to India — her first since she swept the parliamentary polls and took office last year — during which two agreements and three memoranda of understanding covering a wide range of issues are expected to be signed.

Criticised for “prejudging” the visit’s outcome and for threatening a mass agitation against the government, Zia sounded a conciliatory note by wishing her rival the best during her talks with the Indian leadership, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. She said her party wanted to cooperate with the government “in the greater interest of the country”.

“We are placing the expectation and aspiration of the people ahead of the prime minister’s visit to India so that she can raise the issues boldly to uphold our national interest.”

Hasina should elicit assurance from India about some important issues like water sharing, maritime boundary, trade and market extension for Bangladeshi products and permission for Bangladeshi TV channels to operate in India, Zia said.

“The visit won’t be fruitful if these serious issues are not high on the agenda,” Zia added.

Diplomatic analysts and professionals urged Hasina to “end mistrust” with India at a meeting held Saturday. They expressed the hope that Hasina’s visit to India would end existing climate of “non-cooperation” in resolving problems in trade, maritime boundary, border management, regional connectivity and sharing river waters, The Daily Star said Sunday.

Foreign Minister Dipu Moni said: “We are eagerly looking forward to the visit of the prime minister, and I strongly believe it will enable us to build on the already solid foundation of our existing friendly relations with India.”