Awami League will strengthen relations with India if voted to powe

Dhaka, Oct 16 (UNI) Bangladesh's principal Opposition party Awami League today said it would initiate pragmatic steps to strengthen relationship with India by resolving issues like trade deficit and sharing of water of common rivers, if voted to power.

''Good relationship with New Delhi have a meaningful impact on the creation of security environment and at the same time, creates scope to take advantage in the huge market of India,'' former Foreign Secretary Faruq A Chowdhury told a press conference here.

Asked about the widening trade gap, he said, that Dhaka was not in a favourable situation in trade with New Delhi. One of the means to reduce the trade gap was to invite investments from there so that goods produced out of these investments could be exported to India,'' he said.

''From that view, taking into consideration the larger interest of the country, the alliance government should have taken a definite decision about the Tata investment. But the government failed to do that,'' Mr Chowdhury, who is the Chairman of the Awami League subcommittee on international affairs, said.

On sharing of waters of the common rivers, he said if Awami League comes to power, it will make arrangement for distribution of water during the dry season as a durable solution in line with the spirit of the Ganges water sharing treaty.

He said Awami League will attach top priority to implement the 1974 Land Boundary Agreement and expedite the work on enclaves.

''A tension free border with India will specially help maintain communication with the neighbouring country,'' he observed.

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