DHAKA: India’s Assam Chief Minister (CM) Tarun Gogoi said that his government is going to oppose the move of the BJP government at the Centre to relax the visa norms for Bangladesh.

Informing that the external affairs minister had sought his opinion on a proposal allowing free entry for Bangladeshi citizens below the age group of 18 and above 65, Gogoi told reporters, “We have opposed this move of the BJP government,” reports the Asian Age on Saturday.

It said that asserting that the issue was very sensitive, Gogoi said that they have also opposed the proposal allowing multiple entries to Bangladeshi citizens on one visa that the new government in New Delhi intends to offer to improve bilateral relationship between the two countries.

Pointing out that the then Vajpayee government had proposed, “work permit” for Bangladeshi citizens, they opposed, Gogoi said, “This reflects the double standard of BJP leaders on the influx problem.”

Gogoi, however, said that they are in favour of bus services in between Dhaka and Guwahati via Shillong. 

“We have also welcomed the opening up of waterways through Bangladesh but this agreement should be for five years and it should be developed to facilitate movement of large ships also,” said Gogoi, who also demanded that an expert committee should be constituted to study the downstream impact of the proposed 600-MW Kholongchu hydro-electric dam project in Bhutan to be built under a India-Bhutan joint venture.

BDST: 1531 HRS, JUN 21, 2014