Pakistan harbours terrorists, needs to be isolated, says Bangladesh HM

Assuring Bangladesh’s support to India on the issue of tackling terror, its Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal says Pakistan needs to be isolated for “harbouring terrorists and supporting terror acts”.

He was also of the opinion that the delay in the Teesta water sharing treaty with India is giving scope to Opposition parties and fundamentalist organisations like Jamat in flaring up anti-India passions in Bangladesh.

“Pakistan has always harboured and supported terrorists.  We feel those who support terrorism should be discouraged and isolated. We should do everything to discourage and condemn such attacks. Such kind of terror attacks should not be carried out against any country,” Kamal told PTI in an interview.

While sharing the agony and pain of India being one of the most affected countries of cross-border terrorism, he says Bangladesh stands by India in its fight against terrorism.

On terror attacks both in India and Bangladesh having roots in Pakistan, he says, “Both India and Bangladesh have the same stand on the issue of terrorism. We have noticed in recent past, how Pakistan’s involvement in various terror attacks has come out in open. This has to stop.”

Amid heightened tension with Pakistan over Uri terror attack in which 18 jawans were killed, India had announced its decision of pulling out of the SARRC Summit citing increased “cross-border” attacks.

Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan also pulled out of the SAARC Summit in Islamabad in November, indirectly blaming Pakistan for creating an environment which was not right for successful holding of the meet, resulting in its collapse.

On the deadlock over Teesta water sharing treaty,?Kamal says he is hopeful that the pact will be a reality in future but maintained relations between both countries don’t depend on this single treaty.

“Any treaty is done on the basis of mutual interests of both the countries. A treaty cannot be signed by neglecting the interests of a country which is party to it. We feel that Teesta treaty will happen in future. The way the bilateral relations are moving forward, we are hopeful that Teesta treaty will happen sooner or later,” he says.

Although Kamal notes that the future of the Indo-Bangla relations doesn’t depend on Teesta treaty, he says Opposition and fundamentalist forces are using it to flare up anti-India sentiments in Bangladesh.

“The bilateral relationship won’t depend on this treaty. It is true that Bangladesh is facing some problems. Water is essential for both the countries,” he says.