Mamata writes to Modi on cooperating on Teesta deal with Bangladesh

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has written to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying she will cooperate on resolving all bilateral issues with Bangladesh including the Teesta water sharing.

The letter reached Modi before Foreign Secretary S Jaishanker's visit to Dhaka.

Top sources in Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said the tone of the letter was very 'positive'.

Mamata has also sought an early meeting with Modi.

Considering that neither she nor any of her senior ministers attended the Niti Aayog ( that replaced India's Planning Commission) conclave and avoided other occasions to meet Modi, top PMO sources feel there is 'surely a change in Banerjee's attitude'.

They do not want to speculate why.

Analysts point to the Saradha scam, the unravelling of a huge Islamist terror network after the Oct 2 Burdwan blasts and top Trinamul leader Mukul Roy's intransigence as possible reasons for Mamata seeking truce with Modi.

On his part, Modi promises to carry Mamata with him on all issues pertaining to Bangladesh.

PMO sources say Modi is keen on a visit to Bangladesh in April after his four-nation tour of Indian Ocean countries in March.

"By then, the Land Boundary Agreement would have had a comfortable passage in the Upper House and some of the problems on Teesta water sharing would have been cleared," said a top PMO source.

He said Modi would like to visit Dhaka with Mamata and have her by his side on all major announcements related to Bangladesh.

"He would follow the precedence set by former prime minister Devegowda who had Jyoti Basu by his side, when handling the Ganges river water sharing," he added.

Modi is believed to be working on Sikkim, whose Chief Minister Pawan Chamling is said to be his close friend, to allow more waters down the Teesta so that West Bengal and Bangladesh could both get its due share.