Water dispute with India will also be resolved: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday hoped the dispute over inter-country water flow between India and Bangladesh will be resolved as other problems with it have been resolved one after another peacefully.

"Recently we`ve solved the longstanding land boundary problems (with India) by swapping enclaves while the maritime boundary dispute has also been settled. We earlier inked the Ganges Water sharing treaty, while discussions are on to settle the problems over inter-country rivers. I believe we`ll be able to solve this, too," she said.

The Prime Minister was addressing a function at her office before witnessing a signing ceremony between the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to enhance cooperation between the two regulatory authorities.

Hasina said the country`s socioeconomic and cultural ties are gradually getting stronger with India as her government has resolved the existing problems with the neighbouring country one after another through discussions.

Alongside India, she said, her government has been able to establish connectivity with its other neighbours.

Hasina said Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) and the Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar (BCIM) initiatives will play a significant role in further expanding trade and commerce and connectivity in this region.

Noting that a large number of people of the region, including Bangladesh, still live below the poverty line, she said the main goal of her government is to pull these people out of poverty. "I hope the way the scope of cooperation is expanding, it’ll be possible to free the people living in poverty in Bangladesh, India and also the other neighbours."

To make that happen, Hasina said, there is a need to work together  with a liberal mind rising above all meanness.

Mentioning that there has been marked progress in bilateral ties between the two countries over the last few years, she said implementation of various effective steps are on to expand cooperation in power sector, establishment of river, road and rail communication network and overall infrastructural development between India and Bangladesh.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith, BSEC Chairman Dr M Khairul Hossain and SEBI chairman UK Sinha also spoke on the occasion.

The Prime Minister along with the Finance Minister and other guests  witnessed the MoU signing, penned by BSEC chairman Dr M Khairul Hossain and SEBI chairman UK Sinha.