Mamata Banerjee to stay in separate hotel in Dhaka during Modi's visit

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is arriving in Dhaka a day before Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and staying in a separate hotel.

Nurul Islam Hasibbdnews24.com
Published : 2 June 2015, 10:20 AM
Updated : 2 June 2015, 10:21 AM

Foreign ministry officials told bdnews24.com that she would stay at Radisson Blu Water Garden Hotel, close to the airport, though the Pan Pacific Sonargoan Hotel is booked for Modi’s entourage for his June 6-7 visit.

“It is her (Mamata) desire,” a senior official told bdnews24.com .

So they arranged her accommodation at Radisson Hotel.

Earlier, Mamata announced she would come to Dhaka on June 5 and go back the next day after the land boundary agreement is signed , indicating she will avoid any discussions on Teesta river water sharing.

A day after Mamata's announcement, India’s external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said no agreement on Teesta would be signed during Modi's visit.

That set at rest speculations that the deal may come through as a last-minute surprise.

The deal could not be signed due to Banerjee’s opposition in Sep 2011 during the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit.

She even cancelled her visit that time.

This time again the Teesta water sharing issue was back in news after the announcement of Modi’s visit, weeks after 41-year-old land enclaves swap deal was cleared by the Indian parliament.

The constitution amendment bill passed in Indian parliament would operationalise the 1974 India-Bangladesh Land Boundary agreement that provides for exchange of 161 enclaves adversely held by the two countries.

Bangladesh foreign ministry sources say trade and connectivity would receive priority during Modi's visit.

Dozens of instruments including agreements and MoUs would be signed during the visit.

Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque on Tuesday said foreign minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali would brief the media about the visit on Thursday.