Media can play role in deepening Bangladesh-India ties: Speaker

Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury has said the media can play their roles in promoting the activities that can help further deepen the bilateral relations between Bangladesh and India.

She urged the journalists of both Bangladesh and India to play constructive role in improving Dhaka-Delhi ties, reports UNB.

The Speaker was speaking at the inaugural session of a seminar titled “Role of Bangladesh-India Relations: Challenges and Prospects” organised by the Jatiya Press Club. Senior journalists from Bangladesh and India attended the seminar.

Speaker Chaudhury said the two countries have addressed many challenges in the past years, including land and maritime boundaries demarcation.

The two countries signed a number of agreements and MoUs on social, economic, maritime and environmental cooperation, she said.

Indian Journalists’ Union President Geetartha Pathak said Bangladesh and India share common history and culture.

Though the two countries addressed many problems, some issues like water sharing still need to be addressed.

He said as a lower riparian country, Bangladesh has the right to have equal water sharing of the common rivers but that is not being ensured.

Bangladesh faces immense problems due to flooding that the upper riparian countries India, Nepal or Bhutan do not face, he said.

“I hope the journalists of India and Bangladesh can focus on these issues,” he said.

The Daily Star editor Mahfuz Anam, JPC president Farida Yasmin, its general secretary Elias Khan, Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) president Sohel Haider Chowdhury, among others, spoke.