Dhaka sees Kashmir issue as India’s internal affair

India still working on water sharing issue

Special Correspondent
Bangladesh in her official reaction on Wednesday described abrogation of Indian constitution Article 370 relating to special status of Jammu and Kashmir as an internal issue of India.
‘Bangladesh maintains that the abrogation of Article 370 by the Indian government is an internal issue of India,’ said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement sharing Bangladesh’s position on Jammu and Kashmir.
The foreign ministry statement said Bangladesh has always advocated, as a matter of principle, that maintaining regional peace and stability, as well as development should be a priority for all countries.
Banglash official reaction was announced after the visiting Indian foreign Minister Dr S Jaishankar held a bilateral meeting with his Bangladeshi counterpart in Dhaka and met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina offering her an invitation to visit India.
Narendra Modi’s BJP government on August 5 stripped Jammu and Kashmir of its semi-autonomy and statehood, creating two federal territories.
Dhaka, Delhi ties on positive trajectory: Jaishankar
Meanwhile, Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar left Dhaka for Kathmandu on Wednesday morning saying Bangladesh-India relations are now on a “positive trajectory”.
Wrapping up his visit, the Indian minister said he had “productive discussions” with his Bangladesh counterpart Dr AK Abdul Momen on Tuesday.
The Indian Foreign Minister met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence around 5pm on Tuesday.
“Good to see our ties on such a positive trajectory,” he said before leaving Dhaka.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam and Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Riva Ganguly Das saw him off at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 10:30am, said an official.
Bangladesh and India are working to find “mutually acceptable formulas” to share water from 54 shared rivers with keeping India’s commitment to resolving Teesta issue unchanged.
Jaishankar said India’s partnership with Bangladesh remains an example of what neighbours can do if they work together as two partners.
He said the Indian government, led by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is determined to ensure that this partnership is truly a role model in South Asia and for the world.
The Indian minister said they would like to offer all possible support to realise Bangladesh’s development agenda which is in India’s interest as well.
The Indian minister visited Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi-32 and paid tributes to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by placing wreaths at his portrait there on Tuesday.
India is a leading development partner of Bangladesh as it has extended concessional lines of credit to the tune of around 8 billion US dollars.
Tista and NRC issue
After holding a bilateral meeting with Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen at the state guesthouse Jamuna in Dhaka on Tuesday, Indian minister Dr S Jaishankar told the media that India continues to be committed to solving the Teesta issue along with 53 other common rivers.
“Water resources is an important subject and we look forward to making progress to find mutually acceptable formulas to share water from 54 shared rivers,” he said.
Asked about long-pending Teesta water-sharing matter, Jaishankar said there has been no change regarding their commitment to resolve the issue. “We have a position. You all are aware of it. We have commitment to that position,” he added.
Jaishankar in a joint press conference with Momen also said that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam is India’s “internal matter” amid concerns in Bangladesh.
The NRC process is aimed at identifying illegal immigrants in Assam that borders Bangladesh. Assam, which had faced influx of people from Bangladesh since the early 20th century, is the only state having an NRC which was first prepared in 1951.