Narendra Modi, Sheikh Hasina share 'a very good chemistry': Indian spokesperson

India’s official spokesperson Vikas Swarup has said that Bangladesh and India have become “model neighbours” and the two prime ministers share “a very good chemistry”.

He said they were looking forward to welcome Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the upcoming BRICS summit in Goa from Oct 15 where India has invited all leaders of the seven-member BIMSTEC regional grouping that connects South Asia with Southeast Asia.

“We have one of the strongest partnerships with Bangladesh. The two prime ministers have met a number of times. They share a very good chemistry,” Swarup told a group of Bangladesh journalists visiting Delhi at the invitation of the Ministry of External Affairs.

He also hosted an official dinner for them on Monday.

He said the “very good partnership” between the countries has extended into so many sectors that both sides have been able to resolve the long pending issues such as land boundary agreement.

“We share each other’s success. We share each other’s sorrows. And we are partners in each other’s progress. I think this partnership can only go strength to strength,” he said.

India's external affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup. Photo: IANS

He, however, did not speak about the Teesta water sharing issue in his brief remarks for the Bangladesh group.

However, Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty, distinguished fellow of the leading private think-tank, Observer Research Foundation (ORF), said that New Delhi was still working on building consensus on the Teesta water sharing issue which was thwarted by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in 2011.

But Banerjee during her last year’s visit to Dhaka urged all to keep faith on her this time.

Chakravarty, who was India’s high commissioner in Bangladesh from 2007-09, said, “The problem is West Bengal is unwilling to do it. This is a problem within India. Its entirely dependent on West Bengal.”

The Bangladeshi journalists have met new state minister for external affairs MJ Akbar and senior officials at the South Block apart from their visit to different places including Delhi metro which is the fastest growing network in the world.