Bangladesh ruling party delegation meets PM Modi

NewsBharati    24-Apr-2018
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New Delhi, Apr 24: Against the controversy over upgrading of National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, a delegation of leaders of Bangladesh ruling party Awami League, called on the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday in New Delhi and had a meeting with him.

The delegation was led by Bangladesh Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader. The meeting was held at the official residence of the Prime Minister. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary V K Gokhale and Joint Secretary (Bangladesh, and Myanmar) Sripriya Ranganathan were also present at the meeting.

According to Assam Tribune the Bangladesh Minister who is also general secretary of the ruling Bangladesh Awami League, was accompanied by Awami League Presidium member Piyush Kanti Bhattacharya, Joint General Secretaries Mahbubul Alam Hanif, Jahangir Kabir Nanak and Abdur Rahman. Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Syed Muazzem Ali was also present at the meeting.

The 20-member Awami League delegation arrived in India on a three-day visit at the invitation of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The visit by Awami League delegation assumes significance because the ruling Bangladeshi Party had openly expressed its anxiety over the updating of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam.

However, officials were tight-lipped whether Bangladeshi sides raised the issue of updating of the NRC.

According to reports, the Bangladesh Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina recently told a visiting Indian media delegation that the ongoing process of updating the NRC may result in a mass displacement of Bengalis from the region and create another Rohingya refugee-like crisis for Bangladesh.

Officials said that the situation in Assam was “threatening” India-Bangladesh ties and would be exploited by “anti-India elements and Islamic fundamentalists” who are opposing the Awami League rule.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Media Affairs Adviser Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury had said the citizenship issue would be “another disappointment after the setback on the Teesta water sharing agreement.”

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister said that India wants early resolution of the Rohingya refugee problem.