By Mizan Rahman/Dhaka

Bangladesh FM Dipu Moni
Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni yesterday told parliament that Bangladesh is optimistic about an early signing of the Teesta river water sharing agreement as negotiations with India are in the final stage.
“We want to resolve the Teesta issue through dialogue with India and the deal will be inked soon,” she said replying to an accusation by independent lawmaker Mohamad Fazlul Azim in the House during the budget session.
She said the signing of the Teesta agreement is being delayed due to internal politics in India.
Referring to the Awami League’s government successes in resolving various issues including sharing of Ganges water with India, the foreign minister asked the MP to cite an example of any bilateral deal signed with a neighbouring country by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which was in power for a long time.
On Tipaimukh Dam, Dipu Moni said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is always in favour of resolving the issue bilaterally and maintaining friendly ties with the neighbouring country.
“We are not sitting idle on Tipai Dam issue and India has agreed to conduct a joint feasibility study to assess the impact of the dam on Bangladesh,” she said adding Bangladesh will take steps after getting the result of feasibility study and will not do anything whimsically.
The dam is within 100km of Sylhet divisional city in Bangladesh and the Bangladeshi rivers Surma and Kushiara are closely dependent on the Barak across which the dam will be built.
The foreign minister said whenever Awami League comes to power it works for the welfare of people and this time the government will not do anything that harms people.
Regarding killings on the border, Dipu Moni said 760 people were killed on the border during the BNP-Jamaat regime against 203 persons over the last three years of the present government.
The number of killings has almost halved and the government wants to bring deaths down to zero, she said.
The foreign minister said BNP failed to maintain friendly relationships with neighbouring countries. In fact, Bangladesh became isolated during the regime of the BNP-Jamaat, she added.
Dipu Moni said Hasina’s government, in line with its foreign policy, is working as facilitator  to increase trade and commerce. As a result exports to India have grown three times she added.