Meeting with Bangla PM positive: CM Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has described her meeting with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed as positive after discussing a host of issues on cultural, education and trade relations with her on Saturday evening with a talk on Teeta treaty being bypassed tacitly.

She parried a question on whether the water-sharing agreement, for which speculation was rife in the diplomatic circles, came up for discussion with her.

The crucial meeting took place for nearly an hour at a hotel in Alipore where Ms Hasina stayed during her two-day visit to the state.

Ms Banerjee reached the hotel in the evening. Sources revealed that it was a close-door meeting between the two leaders. The Bangladesh PM returned to her country at night after the meeting with the Trinamul Congress supremo.

After the meeting Ms Banerjee said, “The meeting was positive. West Bengal shares close relations with Bangladesh. Several issues were discussed as we share the same relation, culture and tradition. Issues like strengthening the Indo-Bangla relations were featured in the meeting apart from how to boost trade relations which will benefit both sides. We discussed on various issues that include education, business and others.”

She stressed that no political and geographical boundary could create a difference between West Bengal and Bangladesh as both are on the same page.

Speaking about her long relationship with the Bangladesh PM Ms Banerjee elaborated, “We love each other. I have known Hasinaji, Rehanaji and their family members for more than 25 years. We want them to come here again.”

The chief minister informed that the the Bangladesh PM expressed her interest for setting up Bangabandhu Museum in memory of her father Sheikh Mujibur Rahaman in the city. “She said her father stayed at a house at Shakespeare Sarani. She requested us for setting up the museum in Bangabandhu’s name which we will do.

At present the address houses Sri Aurobindo Ashram. We want to locate the museum there if the Bangladesh government allows it,” she added.

Ms Banerjee pointed out that it was a privilege to confer Ms Hasina with D. Litt degree from Kazi Nazrul University.

“Both the sides enjoy a cordial relationship. We are prepared to work with each other on every issue,” she noted.