Foreign Secretary Mohamed Mijarul Quayes said on Sunday Dhaka was ready to engage with New Delhi to finalise extradition treaty to exchange convicts.
"India wants to sign the treaty and handed over the draft to its Bangladesh," he said at a press briefing on his recent visit to New Delhi.
The Secretary attended the Foreign Office Consultation with India on July 24 where entire range of bilateral issues was discussed.
Teesta agreement
Quayes said Bangladesh was ready to provide space to India to complete the internal consultation to resolve Teesta problem.
Dhaka asked New Delhi to complete the necessary formalities for an early conclusion of the agreement for water-sharing of Teesta, he said.
"I want to say categorically that Bangladesh gives utmost importance to signing of Teesta agreement and we raised it as a main issue in the Foreign Secretary-level meeting and sooner the issue is resolved the better impact it would have on the public domain and perception."
Bangladesh and India failed to strike an interim Teesta water-sharing deal during the visit of the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in September last year over strong resistance from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Fast-track implementation
The Secretary said both the government agreed to fast track the implementation of the issues that had been stipulated in the two summit level meetings that were held between Bangladesh and India during the current Awami League-led government.
In those meetings, the head of governments agreed to implement land boundary agreement, Teesta agreement, trade facilitation and regional connectivity among other things, Quayes said.
"All these will be implemented through fast-track system."
Tipaimukh issue
Quayes said he had a meeting with Indian Water Secretary Dhruv Bijai Singh and the date of the first meeting of the Joint Expert Group on Tipaimukh multipurpose dam project was fixed on Aug 27-28.
The experts would study all aspects of the project with specific reference to its impact on Bangladesh.
"We also discussed the issue in the meeting with Indian Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai," he added.
Tipaimukh dam project is a contentious issue between the two countries as Dhaka fears that if the project is implemented, water would be withdrawn and Surma and Kushiara and other rivers in the Sylhet region would be affected.
India has sought to dispel the apprehension saying that it would not take any unilateral decision that may affect Bangladesh.
Land Boundary agreement
Bangladesh sought an early completion of all the legal processes by India side for full implementation of the 1974 Land Boundary Agreement and its additional protocol.
Dhaka requested Delhi to complete its internal process soon as the sooner it would be done, the better the public perception would be about the Indo-Bangla relationship, Quayes said.
Bangladesh and India signed the land boundary agreement in 1974 to resolve the demarcation dispute and later during the visit of Indian Prime Minister Singh in Dhaka last year, they also signed a protocol for implementation of the agreement.
The LBA stipulates that it would not be in force until the countries ratifies it. Bangladesh ratified the agreement in 1974 but India is yet to ratify it.
The headcount of the enclaves have been done, adversely possessed land has been identified and the demarcation would be settled when India ratifies the agreement.
"India wants to sign the treaty and handed over the draft to its Bangladesh," he said at a press briefing on his recent visit to New Delhi.
The Secretary attended the Foreign Office Consultation with India on July 24 where entire range of bilateral issues was discussed.
Teesta agreement
Quayes said Bangladesh was ready to provide space to India to complete the internal consultation to resolve Teesta problem.
Dhaka asked New Delhi to complete the necessary formalities for an early conclusion of the agreement for water-sharing of Teesta, he said.
"I want to say categorically that Bangladesh gives utmost importance to signing of Teesta agreement and we raised it as a main issue in the Foreign Secretary-level meeting and sooner the issue is resolved the better impact it would have on the public domain and perception."
Bangladesh and India failed to strike an interim Teesta water-sharing deal during the visit of the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in September last year over strong resistance from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Fast-track implementation
The Secretary said both the government agreed to fast track the implementation of the issues that had been stipulated in the two summit level meetings that were held between Bangladesh and India during the current Awami League-led government.
In those meetings, the head of governments agreed to implement land boundary agreement, Teesta agreement, trade facilitation and regional connectivity among other things, Quayes said.
"All these will be implemented through fast-track system."
Tipaimukh issue
Quayes said he had a meeting with Indian Water Secretary Dhruv Bijai Singh and the date of the first meeting of the Joint Expert Group on Tipaimukh multipurpose dam project was fixed on Aug 27-28.
The experts would study all aspects of the project with specific reference to its impact on Bangladesh.
"We also discussed the issue in the meeting with Indian Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai," he added.
Tipaimukh dam project is a contentious issue between the two countries as Dhaka fears that if the project is implemented, water would be withdrawn and Surma and Kushiara and other rivers in the Sylhet region would be affected.
India has sought to dispel the apprehension saying that it would not take any unilateral decision that may affect Bangladesh.
Land Boundary agreement
Bangladesh sought an early completion of all the legal processes by India side for full implementation of the 1974 Land Boundary Agreement and its additional protocol.
Dhaka requested Delhi to complete its internal process soon as the sooner it would be done, the better the public perception would be about the Indo-Bangla relationship, Quayes said.
Bangladesh and India signed the land boundary agreement in 1974 to resolve the demarcation dispute and later during the visit of Indian Prime Minister Singh in Dhaka last year, they also signed a protocol for implementation of the agreement.
The LBA stipulates that it would not be in force until the countries ratifies it. Bangladesh ratified the agreement in 1974 but India is yet to ratify it.
The headcount of the enclaves have been done, adversely possessed land has been identified and the demarcation would be settled when India ratifies the agreement.
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