Will meet Sheikh Hasina in Kolkata, but no place for discussion on Teesta river, says Mamata Banerjee

Shantiniketan: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said she would hold a meeting with Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday, but the Teesta river water sharing issue would not be discussed. [caption id=“attachment_4406609” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee. PTI[/caption] “We will be meeting in Kolkata before she (Hasina) leaves for Bangladesh on Saturday. There is no place for discussion on Teesta river,” Banerjee told newsmen in Shantiniketan. The chief minister said that she shared a very cordial relationship with Hasina and no geographical or political boundary can create differences between West Bengal and Bangladesh as they have the same culture and language. “I admire Hasina-di most and she loves me. Our relationship is very honest and ever-lasting. I hope the relation between India and Bangladesh will grow stronger with time,” she said. Banerjee had earlier said that the Teesta river was the lifeline of north Bengal and there was very little water in it. She had said other trans-national rivers could be diverted to meet Bangladesh’s water needs. The Teesta water sharing issue was discussed by the two countries in New Delhi on 9 April. Mamata Banerjee is in Shantiniketan to participate in the Visva-Bharati convocation today.