New Delhi, August 03 2009: A senior member of Bangladesh parliamentary delegation to Tipaimukh site said India has expressed willingness to have more discussions and give more information to Bangladesh if necessary.

"During meetings, Indian ministers told us that India would not do anything harming the interests of Bangladesh.

We have more than what we wanted in respect of information from the Indian side, " Jatiya Party (JP) Secretary General Ruhul Amin Hawladar MP told The Daily Star at Maurya Sheraton Hotel here yesterday.

Hawladar said both Indian External Affairs Minister SM Krishna and Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde have assured the Bangladesh delegation that Tipaimukh is not a dam but a hydro-power project, which would also help flood control in Bangladesh.

The parliamentary delegation led by senior Awami League leader Abdur Razzaque is expected to return home today while the non-parliamentarian members have already returned to Dhaka.

"Our visit and interaction with Indian ministers and officials are completely successful," Hawladar said.

New Delhi is willing to give more information if Bangladesh wants regarding specific aspects of the Tipaimukh dam proposed to be built in Churachandpur district of northeastern Indian state of Manipur, he said quoting the Indian ministers and officials.

Hawladar said when the delegation mentioned about a joint survey of the water flow in Barak river, on which the 1500MW hydro-power project is to come up, the Indian leaders and officials said they were ready for more talks and ferret more information, if needed.

The JP leader said the delegation, during its just-concluded visit to India, got information on Tipaimukh project which had not been available in the last 20 years.

"From my limited experience, I can say our visit is a complete success," he remarked.

He said the delegation was "totally convinced" by India's commitment to be transparent on the Tipaimukh project issue so that it does not become a major irritant in bilateral ties.

Hawladar said from the aerial survey through a low-flying visit over Tipaimukh project site by the delegation and its interaction with a cross section of people, including journalists in India, it was clear that there "is total congruency between the assertions by the Indian government about the project and the reality".

The JP leader, who is a former cabinet minister, said before coming on the visit to India, he had his doubts about the objectives of Tipaimukh project but after the visit "all my doubts have been completely dispelled and my mistake stands corrected".

"Had I not come on this visit, my doubts would have lingered on and I would have continued to wallow in the mistaken notion.

I would have been one of those in Bangladesh who have nurtured doubts over the Tipaimukh project," said Hawladar.

Asked if the delegation is happy with the quantum of information given by India on the project, he said adding, "We have got more than we had expected.

We have nothing more to ask for".

The parliamentary delegation held talks with Krishna on July 29, the day it had arrived from Dhaka, and Shinde and officials of Indian foreign, power and water resources ministries the next day.

The delegation had then flown to Guwahati on its way to Tipaimukh project site but failed to undertake a ground-level visit on July 31 and August 1 despite making two attempts to reach there by helicopter which failed to land due to heavy rains and poor visibility.

On return, the delegation would submit its report to the parliamentary standing committee on water resources.

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