Wrapping up her five-day visit to India, former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today called for cementing trust and friendship between the two nations to strengthen bilateral relations clouded by differences on a host of issues.‘‘If there is mutual trust and friendship, bilateral relations are bound to improve,’’ she said here. In this context, she cited the successful conclusion of the 30-year Ganga Water Sharing Treaty signed during her tenure as PM.To a question if her Awami League would stress strengthening of relations with India if the party were voted back to power next year, she said, ‘‘the Awami League will give importance to better relations with all neighbouring countries as it is our party’s principle.’’ Supporting this, she said the Ganga pact was signed without any third party intervention.On India’s concerns over the presence of camps of Indian insurgent groups in Bangladesh, Hasina said, ‘‘terrorism is a global phenomenon and Bangladesh is no exception. Terrorism is there in Bangladesh,’’ she said, adding that she had been the target of a terrorist attack in August, 2005.Hasina, who earlier held talks with top Indian leaders including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechuri, today had a 40-minute meeting with former West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu, during which a gamut of bilateral issues came up for discussion.Mother Teresa award for Hasina KOLKATA: Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed was given the Mother Teresa International and Millennium Award, 2005 at a function here. The award, instituted by the All India Minority and Weaker Council, was given to the Awami League chief for ‘‘lifetime achievement’’ in governance, politics and social work. ‘‘I think human values should be viewed from a greater perspective. I welcome the initiative taken by the organisers who brought this honour for me,’’ she said.
