Touhid declines commenting on cancellation of 10 deals with India
Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Monday declined to comment on cancellation of at least 10 projects and agreements signed with India.
Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan earlier disclosed that at least 10 projects and agreements signed with India have been cancelled.
In a Facebook post on Sunday night, Asif Mahmud shared a photo card stating that discussions on these agreements began after the interim government took office and that the decision to cancel them was made following a proper review.
The post read: “Ten agreements made with India during the Hasina government have been cancelled; the remaining ones are under consideration.”
The photo card also listed the names of the cancelled projects, the years they were signed, and the nature of the decisions.
According to the information provided by the adviser, the cancelled projects and agreements include the Tripura–Chittagong rail link project, Abhaypur–Akhaura railway extension, Ashuganj–Agartala corridor, Feni River water management project, road and waterway development agreement related to port use, financial cooperation proposal related to Farakka, Sylhet–Silchar link project, petroleum pipeline expansion, establishment of Indian economic zones in Mirsarai and Mongla, and a tugboat agreement with Indian defence company GRSE.
In addition, the Kushiyara River water-sharing project has been described as “suspended”, the Adani Power electricity import agreement is “under review”, and the Ganges water-sharing treaty is “under renewal or review.”
The Teesta River water-sharing agreement, which remains in draft form, is “under discussion for implementation,” Asif Mahmud added.
When approached by reporters at his office on Monday regarding the reported cancellations and the adviser’s Facebook statement, Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain refused to comment.
“I will not say anything about this today,” he told journalists.