Bangladesh unhappy over postponement of Teesta deal

DHAKA: The failure to sign a deal on Teesta water sharing on Tuesday cast a shadow over the two-day visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here as Bangladesh summoned the Indian High Commissioner and bluntly conveyed its unhappiness on the issue.

Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Mijarul Qayes called Indian envoy Rajeev Mitter to the Foreign Ministry this morning and sought a clarification on media reports about India deciding "at the last minute" not to sign the accord, sources here said.

Mitter is understood to have told Qayes that the "internal discussions" on Teesta water-sharing in India were yet to be completed and New Delhi was not in a position now to ink the pact. He is understood to have expressed regret over the Teesta deal not coming through.

Mitter, however, conveyed to Qayes that as soon as the internal discussions were over in India, the deal would be signed, said the sources.

Qayes, on his part, conveyed to the Indian envoy that the "last-minute" scrapping of the move to sign the Teesta deal was "not acceptable".

A spokesman of Bangladesh Foreign Ministry said Qayes conveyed to Mitter that India's decision not to ink the "crucial and long-awaited" Teesta pact is "very frustrating".

Bangladesh, for which the Teesta pact would have been the most vital event of Singh's two-day visit, also reportedly threatened to retaliate by not signing the transit accord with India.