Other agreements will move on keeping aside the Teesta
There is no nuclear bomb in the joint agreement. There are some new elements, which will be moved forward through the discussions among the countries. We are familiar with such joint agreements.
I think, what has to be done now, that functional aspect must be focused. I saw many joint agreements but this is very positive and futuristic.
The agreement on the Kushiyara river water sharing is positive. We are stuck with Teesta. That went into the cold storage. Now the Joint Rivers Commission (JRC) has been asked to keep the Teesta aside and share water with other rivers. I will only talk about Teesta, nothing else will happen, it is not desired.
There is a problem regarding consumer goods. Many things depend on the availability of products in India. Any government in India imposes restrictions on exports when there is a shortage of products. It naturally affects Bangladesh.
There was a shortage of onions, so a ban on export was imposed. A lot of food products go to Bangladesh from India. Bangladesh has asked whatever India's policy is, their demand should be met. In my opinion, the request of Bangladesh may be kept with a concession here.
In terms of energy, it seems that India will finish the construction of oil pipeline in Assam's Rumaligarh soon. All types of fuel including diesel, petrol can be ensured from there.
A lot of progress has been made in connectivity. Now there are all kinds of networks. Rail connectivity is most important. New proposals have been made to export Bangladeshi products using Indian ports. The connectivity between the ports of the two countries is important.
The joint statement reflects the strong commitment of the prime ministers of the two countries to combat terrorism, militancy and radicalism. More work is needed in this area. A stronger commitment is needed from both countries. Both the countries have to deal with the shock of terrorism, militancy and radicalism.
In particular, we have seen the spread of religious militancy. Intelligence sharing for counter-terrorism is an ongoing process. We are reaping the benefits of it. As these forces are enemies of both countries, we must face them together.