India to extend third line of credit to Bangladesh

New Delhi: India is considering a third Line of Credit (LOC) to Bangladesh after monitoring the progress of the ongoing projects being executed under previous two Lines of Credit. Visiting Indian Foreign Secretary Keshav Gokhle believed to be assured this while meeting with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka on Tuesday.

Last year India signed an agreement with Bangladesh to provide a whopping USD 4.5 billion credit line for infrastructure projects, which is the highest amount given to any country so far.

According to the assurance given by the Indian Foreign secretary, the third Line of Credit would be given in the current year.

It is understood when both the Prime Ministers meet at London at the sideline of the CHOGM meet the decision would be announced. Foreign Secretary informed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was looking forward to holding a meeting with Bangladesh Premiere in London.

Gokhle has also assured the Bangladesh PM that Prime Minister Modi wants to fulfill all promises made to Bangladesh including unresolved Teesta water sharing agreement in near future.

According to PM'S Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim, PM Hasina has urged Indian Foreign Secretary to put more pressure on Myanmar to take back more than a million displaced persons from the Rakhine state of Myanmar. In reply, Gokhle said that India was well aware of Bangladesh's problem due to mass arrival of Rohingya refugees.

"We shall continue to urge Myanmar Government to take back refugees," Gokhle reportedly told Bangladesh PM.

"PM Hasina informed Indian Foreign Secretary that they were preparing an island to relocate Rohingya families as landslides might occur in Cox' bazaar where refugees are presently staying. There was a forecast of a huge cyclone in later part of this month. Generally Bangladesh witnesses severe thunderstorm, known as Kaalboisakhi in the month of April and May.

Indian Foreign Secretary assured the Bangladesh Government that India would provide the second package of assistance for the refugees. He emphasised to set up a hospital urgently as the women and children would face distress during the rainy season.

Many experts are predicting a huge human disaster in the Rohingya camp during the rainy season. While meeting with Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Sahidul Haq, Indian FS had told his counterpart that Indian Government is working hard to create a consensus on the Teesta river water sharing agreement. But the Bangladeshi media is very sceptical about the assurance. In fact media report suggests that on the very first day of his visit Gokhle had a closed-door meeting with some of the intellectuals, think tank and editors of local dailies suggested Bangladesh people should make a proactive initiative to engage with the West Bengal government so that they can impress upon the state government.