BEFORE VISIT

Paper for deals
* Transit

* Teesta water sharing
* Projects under Indian credit

Talks

Trade gap, border killings, electricity import, water resources management, enclaves, border demarcation

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Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will come to Bangladesh on a two-day official visit on September 6, which is expected to see a resolution to longstanding issues like Teesta water sharing, border demarcation, exchange of enclaves, transit and trade deficit.
He will visit Bangladesh at the invitation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Dhaka and New Delhi simultaneously announced the schedule of his visit yesterday afternoon.
"The visit is expected to infuse fresh dynamism into the multi-faceted and multi-dimensional relationship between the two countries. The two sides have been working towards making the visit by the Indian prime minister a successful and a fruitful one," said a statement of foreign ministry.
The announcement sets at rest all speculation about Singh's much-awaited visit to Bangladesh.
In the run-up to Singh's official visit, Indian External Affairs Minister SM Krishna will come to Dhaka tomorrow on a three-day tour.
The visit is expected to witness the signing of several memorandums of understanding on a 15-year interim arrangement for Teesta water sharing, border management, transit, cooperation in trade and railway, and projects under India's $1 billion credit to Bangladesh.
Moreover, Indian Congress Party Chief Sonia Gandhi will come to Dhaka on a two-day visit on July 24 to attend an international conference on autism.
The deal on transit will fulfil India's long-standing demand for easier and shorter connectivity between its mainland and land-locked north-eastern states.
The official announcement of the Indian prime minister's visit came after Dhaka gave the signal to sign the MoUs before Singh's visit, diplomatic sources said.
"Signing of the MoUs during SM Krishna's visit means that we are reaching an understanding for final agreements to be signed during the Indian prime minister's visit," said a senior foreign ministry official, seeking anonymity.
A number of issues are taken on board and both the sides are working relentlessly to reach an understanding, said the official.
The Indian side expects that at least three MoUs on transit, Teesta water-sharing and contracts under $1 billion credit will be signed after talks between the foreign ministers of the two countries. The projects under the line of credit are mainly related to railway infrastructure in Bangladesh.
This will be Singh's maiden bilateral visit to Bangladesh since he became prime minister -- the first time in May, 2004, and for a second term in May, 2009. It will also be the first bilateral visit to Bangladesh by an Indian prime minister in 12 years since Atal Bihari Vajpayee came to Dhaka to inaugurate the Dhaka-Kolkata bus service in 1999.
Singh, however, visited Dhaka in November, 2005 to attend the Saarc Summit, a multilateral event.
Hasina had invited Singh to Bangladesh when she was in New Delhi in January, last year when the two countries adopted a landmark 51-point joint communiqué with major decisions on bilateral cooperation in crucial areas like water sharing of Teesta and other rivers, trade, security, transit and electricity.
Our New Delhi correspondent reports: Singh, a firm and consistent proponent of India's neighbourhood diplomacy, is likely to announce some "unilateral" trade concessions to Bangladesh during his visit to address Dhaka's persistent concerns over the yawning bilateral trade gap tilted heavily in favour of India.
Another deal is also expected to be inked during his visit to resolve the long-festering issue of adversely-held enclaves and border demarcation. The issues had remained unresolved since the Indira-Mujib accord of 1974.
India and Bangladesh share a 4,156km border, 6.5 kilometres of which remain un-demarcated. Border demarcation remains pending along the north-eastern Indian state of Meghalaya where a joint survey was held up following objections from locals. It is likely to be sorted out in the next two months.
Indian Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram will also visit Dhaka later this month to finalise a pact on enclaves and border demarcation. Bangladesh has 3,000 acres of land inside India and 51 enclaves adversely possessed in Indian territories. Similarly, India has around 3,500 acres of land and 111 enclaves adversely possessed inside Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, Krishna at a press conference at his South Block office, said he would meet President Zillur Rahman, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia.
He will also meet his counterpart Dipu Moni, and Finance Minister AMA Muhith.
The Indian minister will visit the National Memorial at Savar. Some of Hasina's advisers are expected to meet Krishna tomorrow ahead of formal talks between the two foreign ministers. 

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