New Delhi: Ahead of her visit to Bangladesh, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday spoke to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee about her mission to Dhaka.
Official sources said Ms Swaraj called up Ms Banerjee to “touch base” and brief the CM about her plans.
The external affairs minister is due to hold talks with Bangladesh’s top leadership on key bilateral issues, including the Land Boundary Agreement and the proposed Teesta river waters pact, as well as the issue of illegal immigration into India.
Ms Swaraj is also likely to call on Opposition leader Begum Khaleda Zia, a spokesman of Ms Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party said.
Ms Swaraj’s call to the West Bengal CM is significant as Ms Banerjee’s Trinamul had prevented the UPA government from signing the Teesta deal with Dhaka.
In 2011, Ms Banerjee, then an ally of the UPA, had backed out from Dr Manmohan Singh’s Bangladesh visit, opposing the Teesta water sharing treaty, following which it was shelved.
The Indian delegation is also prepared that Bangladesh will raise the “touchy” issues of LBA and proposed Teesta river pact during the visit beginning Wednesday night.
