India, Bangla not to be ‘prisoners of past’

Foreign Minister Natwar Singh stressed bilateral relationship could not be held hostage to irritants of the past. ‘‘You can’t forget the past. But you must not go on reinventing the past to make the future a prisoner of the past…We have to go ahead. We are living in the 21st century,’’ he said after deliberations with his Bangladesh counterpart Morshed Khan.

Calling India an ‘‘old and tested friend’’, Khan said the two sides have decided that bilateral ties would not ‘‘fall victim to political intricacies’’ and will not be pursued in the ‘‘normal, old-fashioned diplomatic manner of…writing long letters’’.

Khan said all issues would be discussed openly. ‘‘We will not shy away from any issue and have decided not to keep any issue under the carpet,’’ he said, but added results could not be expected overnight. ‘‘We have agreed to play the game in total harmony.’’

‘‘Whatever differences there are whether it relates to terrorists, whether on interlinking of rivers or on separatist activities going on in Bangladesh and here…Both agreed that if any mishap occurs, we will immediately get on telephone and talk to each other,’’ said Singh. While questions are bound to be raised in Parliament, Singh said, these would be answered fully bearing in mind the importance of not adversely impacting bilateral relations and ‘‘without in any way sacrificing our mutual vital national interests’’.

Khan is here as a special envoy for Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia to convey her greetings to the new political leadership in New Delhi. In this connection, he also met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi this evening.