Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has conveyed in a letter to Mamata Banerjee that she is hopeful of meeting the Bengal chief minister during the former’s New Delhi visit in September.

The letter written on July 12 was sent in response to Mamata’s “thank you” letter to the Premier after Hasina had sent a consignment of mangoes to the Bengal chief minister. “I am hopeful that an opportunity to meet you will be created during my September visit to Delhi,” Hasina wrote in the letter.

“As the two Bengals share the same language, culture and values, there is no alternative to working hand-in-hand to strengthen the existing relationship,” she added.

Since the independence of Bangladesh in 1971, Bengal had always played a crucial role in determining India’s foreign policy vis-a-vis Bangladesh. The fact that Bengal played an important role to foster the bilateral relationship was even acknowledged by Hasina after the death of former chief minister Jyoti Basu as she thanked him in Parliament for the efforts he had made in finalising the Ganges Water Sharing treaty in 1996.

Many observers believe the role of Bengal in Delhi-Dhaka discourse has diminished over the years and this change has often come in the way of settling some pending bilateral issues. The fact that the Teesta water sharing treaty is still hanging in balance — it was to be signed in 2011 — is often linked to the then Manmohan Singh government’s decision of not involving Bengal in the discourse on sharing of water, which is a state subject.

There is little doubt that Hasina is expecting a resolution to the water sharing deal, which is not possible without Mamata’s nod.

While there was a confirmation from Nabanna about the letter, no one was available to comment on whether the chief minister would at all consider the possibility of visiting Delhi in September.

Hasina has also invited Mamata to visit Bangladesh at a convenient time to see the Padma Bridge, which the country built with its own resources after the World Bank walked out of the project citing irregularities and corruption over appointment of consultants.

The 6.15km bridge over the mighty river, inaugurated on June 25, has given rise to a new brand of nationalism in the neighbouring country.

“If international leaders like Mamata-didi come to Bangladesh to see the bridge, it will surely be a proud moment for us,” said a source in Dhaka.