Saleem Samad
The Chief Minister of the Indian state of Pashcimbanga (West Bengal), Mamata Banerjee, is set to arrive in Dhaka on an official visit on February 19.
She is expected to be present in the observance of Ekushey February and opening of the International Mother Language Institute building at Kakrail in the capital city on the Bhasha Dibash (February 21).
The much-awaited visit of Mamata who is considered instrumental in getting Bangladesh's due share of Teesta river waters and the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) with India executed is expected to make a breakthrough in the India-Bangladesh relations.
Officials and analysts in Dhaka see Banerjee's visit as a significant turn especially against the backdrop of her resistance to sign the treaties back in 2011, when then Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh had to back off in the last minute.
However, although Mamata's government has softened its stance against the LBA, progress on the issue of water sharing is leant to have been not up to the level, which remains a major irritant between the bilateral relations between two friendly neighbours.
According to sources, the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader would be welcomed with open arm.
Earlier the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) was uncomfortable with media reports mentioning inclusion of controversial legislator Ahmed Hassan Imran in her entourage for Dhaka.
Finally, Imran is not on the entourage list Bangladesh government received on February 15. The entourage of Mamata, however, includes a host of celebrities.
Imran is a TMC lawmaker in the Rajya Sabha. Indian security agencies dossier had flagged him for being sympathetic to the dreaded Jamaat-e-Islami and also blamed him for his alleged attempt to destabilise the Awami League government.
During her visit, Mamata is expected to meet President Mohammad Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and discuss key treaties like the Teesta water sharing agreement and the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) between the two neighbouring countries.