DHAKA: President Abdul Hamid hoped that the visit of Mamata Banerjee will expedite settlement of crucial pending issues like the Teesta issue and ratification of the Land Boundary Agreement as West Bengal is a major stake in the issues.

The West Bengal chief minister made a courtesy call on the Bangladesh President at Bangabhban in city on Friday afternoon and had a discussion on bilateral issues, said Ihsanul Karim, told press secretary of the President. 

Abdul Hamid said that Bangladesh is working on improving trade infrastructure particularly along with the West Bengal Border and also connectivity with West Bengal. 

Mentioning the exchange of cultural visit between the two countries, Mamata Banerjee said that they will solve problems related to cultural arena by sitting together. 

She also shared her planning to hold cultural festivals between the two countries. 

Mamata said that Bangladesh and India have many scopes to flourish tourism sector especially with West Bengal. Tourists will be able to visit both countries if the sector flourishes, she added. 

President Abdul Hamid thanked Mamata to establish Bangabandhu Chair in Kolkata University and 'Nazrul Tirtha' and Kazi Nazrul Islam University and said it will deepen friendly relations between the two neighbors. 

The President praised the hospitality of India during his visit to the neighboring country in December last year. 

President's wife Rashida Khanom, West Bengal's Urban Development minister Firhad Hakim, Tourism Minister Bratya Basu, MPs- Deepak Adhikai (Deb) and Moonmoon Sen, Indian High Commissioner of Bangladesh Pankaj Saran and secretaries concerned to the President Office, among others, were present. 

Earlier in the day, she had a meeting with litterateurs and cultural figures at Sonargaon hotel.

She, in the meeting, proposed a series of steps to bolster the cultural bond between her state and Bangladesh, including the construction of a “Bangabandhu Bhaban”, a building to be named after the country’s founder Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Bangladesh and India were set to ink the Teesta Agreement during the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit in 2011 but Mamata excluded herself from his entourage at the last minute opposing the treaty.

The Teesta deal was shelved as Mamata had objected to the proposed quantum of waters, saying it would harm her state.

BDST: 2036 HRS, FEB 20, 2015

** ‘Keep confidence on me about Teesta’