DHAKA: Bangladesh Foreign Minister M. Morshed Khan foresees Begum Khaleda Zia's three-day visit to India from Monday as a "milestone, and, maybe, one of the last calls for the train of opportunity in the region".

Mr. Khan in a media interview said, "I think India can afford to take a unilateral initiative to open its market for Bangladeshi products to help resolve the huge trade deficit.

The interview was circulated by a private news agency.

Spelling out the Government's position on bilateral trade and FTA, water sharing, border demarcation, transport connectivity, tri-nation gas pipeline and terrorism, he said: "She is going with an open mind, ready to discuss anything and everything for mutual benefit."

Sharing of waters

On the sharing of waters and Indian river-linking projects, including the Tipaimukh barrage, he said such schemes might be matter of "augmentation" for India but a "life-and-death question for Bangladeshi people."

On India's proposal on a bus route along the Dhaka-Sylhet-Shilong-Guwahati line and a passenger train service from Sealdah in Kolkata to Gazipur in Bangladesh, he said the roads in Bangladesh were not fit for taking heavy-duty container cargo. Besides, after development of rift in the Jamuna Bridge, the cross-border train service from Sealdah to Gazipur remains a doubtful proposition.

Demarcation

On the demarcation of a 6.5-km stretch along the common border and exchange of enclaves and adversely possessed lands, he said the Joint Working Group was working on the issue.

About bilateral free trade with India, he said Bangladesh and India had two FTAs — BIMSTEC and SAFTA.

On the tri-nation gas pipeline from Myanmar to India through Bangladesh, he said, "It is a business venture, not a political issue."

He said militancy and terrorism were a global problem. "It has spread like an epidemic, and we were last to be hit." Bangladesh, he said, had done excellent job by arresting 700-800 militants and two of the most-wanted leaders, Shaikh Rahman and Bangla Bhai.

Fight against terrorism

A Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Begum Khaleda would discuss "joint cooperation to fight terrorism" with Dr. Singh.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Zahirul Haq said, "Both sides will discuss all bilateral issues, including cross border terrorism, security, trade, transport linkages and water sharing of common rivers."

Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Hemayetuddin, who returned from New Delhi on Friday, said he met his counterpart Shyam Saran and both sides were looking forward to the visit. "The talks will address common concerns and ways of expanding trade and economic cooperation," he said.

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