Bangladesh Says No Country Should Worry About Teesta Project Amid India’s Concerns

Bangladesh Says No Country Should Worry About Teesta Project Amid India’s Concerns

Dhaka, July 7 [VoM News]: Bangladesh has defended its development agenda claiming that it is not answerable to any country after India expressed security worries about the Chinese-backed Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project (TRCMRP).

Zahed Ur Rahman, Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s Information and Broadcasting Adviser, stated that we will implement according to our national interests and we will deal with all nations as a sovereign state.

No reason of citizens/people/countries should worry about the progress we are making for the same as India or any other country will work/agree with Bangladesh as an independent country.” Zahed Ur Rahmantold to media persons at Dhaka.

He commented China has the technology and the fund and can do the project. He also said Bangladesh will take care of the security issue of others but the national interest would be on top of all.

“Any country has security issues we will look into those. If we have security issues then this would also be considered by others,” he said.

India has stated the development cooperation extended by it to Bangladesh is pursuant to a Roadmap agreed to by the two countries and has already communicated its concerns on the project in the River Teesta to Dhaka.

Seeking to clarify the stance of the Indian Government regarding the Teesta deal, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told the media that “New Delhi will consider all developments in connection with this issue in its total response.”

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The Government of India has expressed our views on the Teesta River project to the Bangladesh side. All developments would be kept in mind while formulating India’s position in respect of the Teesta issue,’ Jaiswal said.

Main concern in India is with China possibility of involvement in the project because of its nearness to Siliguri Corridor or Chicken’s Neck as it is also known-a narrow strip of land that links India’s seven sister states in the northeast to the rest of the country.

Although met with opposition from India, China reaffirms its support to the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project, terming it as a vital development project for Bangladesh.

Zahed Ur Rahman was also targeted last month when he was briefly detained and interrogated at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport while arriving at to attend an event organized by India’s Ministry of External affairs. It was reported in Bangladeshi media that Mr. Zahed, who entered the country on his normal passport with a SAARC visa instead of his diplomatic passport, had been subjected a security screening.