Two-day India, Bangladesh JRC meeting called off

The two-day meeting of the JRC was scheduled to begin in New Delhi on Wednesday and the talks were postponed at the request of the Bangladeshi side, the people cited above said.

Bangladesh has called off a meeting of the bilateral Joint Rivers Commission (JRC) a week after two top Bangladeshi ministers cancelled their visits to India following the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, people familiar with matter said.

There was no word on the development from Indian officials, though the people cited above said the Bangladeshi side had sought more time to gather data on six rivers that were to be the focus of the meeting. (PTI FILE)

The two-day meeting of the JRC was scheduled to begin in New Delhi on Wednesday and the talks were postponed at the request of the Bangladeshi side, the people cited above said.

“The meeting is not taking place as we did not get the government order on it,” KM Anwar Hossain, the Bangladeshi representative in the JRC who was to head the delegation to India, was quoted as saying by The Daily Star newspaper.

“We will fix a new date after discussing with India,” he added.

There was no word on the development from Indian officials, though the people cited above said the Bangladeshi side had sought more time to gather data on six rivers that were to be the focus of the meeting.

Bangladesh foreign minister AK Abdul Momen and home minister Asaduzzaman Khan called off visits to India last week, hours after the passage of the CAA, which has generated concern and debate in the neighbouring country.