Bilateral trade, regional issues to dominate Hasina8217;s Pak visit

DHAKA, June 22: Regional and bilateral issues are likely to dominate the June 24 meeting between Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and...

DHAKA, June 22: Regional and bilateral issues are likely to dominate the June 24 meeting between Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif, a senior official has said.

The one-day meeting, with an open-ended agenda, will also cover international issues besides discussing the trade between the two countries, which is now heavily tilted in Islamabad8217;s favour, the official of the foreign ministry was quoted by the official BSS news agency.

Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Mustafizur Rahman was today quoted by the daily Star as saying that 8220;We would like to discuss the situation that has arisen out of the nuclear tests. We will give our views and hear theirs.8221;

The Foreign Secretary said Hasina8217;s Pakistani visit would be more or less similar to her India visit on June 16.

Referring to Hasina8217;s visit, Pakistan High Commissioner in Dhaka, Karam Elahi, said, 8220;We welcome the visit of the Bangladesh Premier. We want to discuss why it all the nuclear tests happened andwhat is the background. You cannot cure a disease without finding its cause.8221; However, he added that the Kashmir issue was central to all mediation between India and Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh will inaugurate a multi-purpose bridge over Jamuna river 8212; stated to be the longest in South Asia 8212; tomorrow, which officials say holds out promise for easier and greater trade with India.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will open the 4.8 km multi-million dollar bridge, named after Bangladesh8217;s independence architect Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, connecting the country8217;s industrially-impoverished north with the more prosperous south.

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The bridge, funded by the World Bank, the Japan Government, the Asian Development Bank and the Bangladesh Government, will have a four-lane road, a railway track and also pipelines for carrying gas and electricity.

India supplied the largest quantum of boulders needed for river-training before construction of the bridge work for which had started in October 1994.