Ties with India should not be an issue in Bangla poll: Hasina aide The Zoland Times
A top aide
of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here tonight, said ties between the two
countries should not be made an issue in Bangladesh elections slated for early next year.
Saber Hossain Chowdhury, political secretary to Hasina, said after the meeting that relations among neighbouring countries should not be a matter of domestic politics.
Chowdhury, a former Cabinet Minister under Hasina, said "we appeal to BNP that India should not be made an issue in Bangladesh elections" and Dhaka should conduct its ties with New Delhi on the basis of its own national interests.
The entire gamut of bilateral relations and
regional issues, including terrorism and connectivity among SAARC countries, came up for discussion at the meeting between Hasina had with the Prime Minister.
Chowdhury said the two top leaders agreed that India and Bangladesh should try to find common grounds where their national interests converge.
He said the Prime Minister and Hasina emphasized the importance of regional connectivity in view of growing role of regional economic groupings.
There is an element of trust in Awami League on these issues, Chowdhury said.
India has been pressing since long for multi-modal transport link with Bangladesh and transit to promote greater bilateral trade ties and easier access to its northeastern states.
Hasina, the chief of Awami League, is expected to meet Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and BJP leader L K Advani and Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee before going to Kolkata to receive the Mother Teresa lifetime achievement award there.