Journalist Shahriar Kabir and historian Prof Muntasir Mamun at a discussion here yesterday said Bangladesh-India relations are based on the same philosophies of secularism, socialism and democracy and must get friendlier for economic and commercial gains.
Maintaining rivalry would incur more losses to Bangladesh than to India, they said.
The discussion styled "Bangladesh-India relations: From Bangabandhu to Sheikh Hasina" was organised by the district and city units of Ekatturer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee at a city community centre. Language movement veteran Abul Hossain was in the chair.
The discussion marked Bangladesh's 40th anniversary of independence, the government's presenting Foreign Friends Award to former Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi posthumously tomorrow and the Indian premier Manmohan Singh's visit to Bangladesh two months later.
Bangladesh suffered trade deficits following increase in illegal businesses when anti-liberation and fundamentalist forces came to power in Bangladesh and Congress Party was not in power in India, they said.
They hoped most of the disputed issues between the two countries in the past 40 years would now be resolved reasonably as relations between Awami League (AL) and Congress Party, now at the helms of the countries, dates back long ago.
Shahriar said water sharing of 54 trans-boundary rivers and 261 enclaves of both the countries remain a long-standing problem and can be solved diplomatically if the countries maintain honest intention and friendship.
He informed that the Indian government already agreed to Bangladesh's proposal to return its enclaves to Bangladesh in exchange for those in Bangladesh, as mentioned in the Indira-Mujib pact.
He strongly criticised people who are raising voice against Farakka and Tipaimukh dams and are silent about China's initiative to erect a dam on Brahmaputra river.
He said Bangladeshi television channels are not being broadcast in India as the owners are not getting adequate number of advertisements to cover their broadcasting expenses aboard.
He also underscored the need for a government initiative for the access of Bangladeshi books in Indian markets.
Muntasir said friendly relations between the countries have now become an economic compulsion.
He said pro-AL businessmen and even pro-BNP-Jamaat businessmen want to develop this relation to expand their business.
Prof Abdul Khalek, Dr Sayed Shafikul Alam, Nawsher Ali, Abul Kalam Azad, Mustafijur Rahman Khan, Abdul Mannan, Abdullah Al Masud and Entajul Haque also spoke at the programme.
Soruce : The Daily Star
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