Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will hold a press conference to brief about her recent India visit on Wednesday.
It has been notified through a notice from the press secretary of the prime minister.
Hasina went to India on a two-day trip on May 25 when she along with Indian premier Narendra Modi inaugurated Bangladesh Bhaban at Shantiniketon in West Bengal.
She had separate meetings with Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who vehemently opposed Teesta water sharing deal.
Meanwhile, Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday made it clear that New Delhi had practically made no progress over the Teesta River Water sharing deal with Bangladesh.
Appearing before the media on Monday as the Narednra Modi administration finishes its fourth year, she said, “The Teesta deal is not only an issue between India and Bangladesh governments, but West Bengal is an important stakeholder. And that’s why we have emphasised time and again on discussions with Mamata Banerjee.”
Swaraj said the Indian government was examining West Bengal Chief Minister Banerjee’s alternative proposal of giving Bangladesh enough water from four other North Bengal rivers like, Torsha, Mansai and Dharala.
“That proposal ensures enough water as well as save Teesta. The central government’s water resources ministry and the state government are doing a feasibility study over that proposal. We are yet to receive the report,” she said.
In line with Modi’s promise made to his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina in April last year, the Teesta water treaty is supposed to be signed before Hasina’s current term ends.
That means, New Delhi has hardly seven months to ink the deal, but Swaraj made it clear on Monday that whether that promise to Dhaka can be kept entirely depends on Banerjee.
She, however, said there’s still time. “I would say our government has still a year left. Have some patience; we are on the issue.”
West Bengal Chief Minister Banerjee has been opposing the deal since 2011. She even excluded herself from the then-Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh’s Dhaka visit, when the deal was supposed to be signed.
The Trinamool Congress leader made it clear time and again that she will not overlook interests of the northern parts of her state as the Teesta River is intregal for irrigation and power generation in that region.