No arrangement on transit issue against national interest: B'desh

Dhaka, Jul 12 (UNI) Bangladesh Foreign Affairs Advisor Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury today made an unequivocal and firm resolve regarding the question of transit to India, saying the Foreign Ministry will never agree to any arrangement which is contrary to the country's sovereign national interest.

Responding to some reports related to transit to India, he said, ''I wish to announce unequivocally and firmly that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will never, under any circumstances, agree to any arrangement that is contrary to our sovereign national interest.'' ''We are prepared to negotiate with any country on any subject, but no solution can ever be imposed on us without our consent,'' Mr Chowdhury said adding, ''this is an axiomatic truth of our diplomacy.'' The Advisor said, ''I wish to apprise all concerned about this in the clearest terms, and reassure the nation in this respect.'' On Thursday, after a meeting with the Foreign Advisor, Indian High Commissioner Pinak Ranjan Chakrabarty was asked whether the transit issue would come up at the Foreign Office Consultations in New Delhi. Mr Chakrabarty had said India has been discussing the matter at all forums as ''we are interested in transit.'' He said, ''We believe it is purely an economic issue, but here it is made a political issue though I don't see any reason for that.'' He however, dismissed the idea that India has set any timeframe to get the transit facility from Bangladesh.

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