Dhaka, July 19 2009: Amid main opposition BNP's demand for scrapping of the cross-border Tipaimukh dam project in Manipur, Bangladesh Premier Sheikh Hasina has sought its chief Khaleda Zia's cooperation for national unity on the issue with India in order to achieve "cent percent success" in protecting the country's interest.

"Tipaimukh issue is a national problem.

The nation should not be divided for political reasons.

We will be unable to protect our national interests if we are divided.

Unity will strengthen our bargaining capacity," Hasina told a meeting of senior party leaders last night.

"We will not allow anything that will cause the slightest harm to the country," Hasina was quoted as saying at the meeting by the ruling Awami League spokesperson and Local Government Minister Syed Ashraful Islam.

Hasina's comments, in which she also highlighted the need to attain "cent percent success" in protecting the country's interest, came hours after Zia at a BNP-sponsored function promised to extend her hand to the government on the issue, saying "don't" be afraid, you are not alone, we will be with you (government) in protecting the national interest".

"I urge the Indian Prime Minister to formally announce cancellation of the project," Zia told a seminar on the possible impacts of the cross-border hydro-electric dam in Bangladesh, organised by her party.

Zia, however, said, "I appreciate his (Singh's) statement" assuring Hasina that his country would not do anything that might affect Bangladesh".

Hasina last month said she expected resolution of the Tipaimukh Dam issue through talks with India with cooperation of her archrival Zia, but added that she was in a dilemma if the opposition wanted to "resolve or politicise" the issue.

Hasina and Zia's latest comments came days after Prime Minister Singh and his Bangladeshi counterpart met on the sidelines of the NAM summit in Egypt earlier this week.

"This assurance (by Singh that India would not do anything that might affect Bangladesh) will help her (Hasina's six-month-old) new government overcome an embarrassing situation with regard to the Tipaimukh issue," leading foreign relations analyst Professor Imtiaz Ahmed said.

He said the "no harm clause" of international conventions and laws regarding trans-boundary rivers were now expected to get priority in the project.

Professor Anwar Hossain, another international politics expert, said "the significance of Dr Manmohan Singh's gesture is immense ..

but Hasina's talks with Singh could bring a fruitful result over the Tipaimugh issue if successful diplomatic manoeuvring could be made as follow up measures".

Meanwhile, environmental activists and protesters in Bangladesh set out on a six-day 264-km-long march from Dhaka to northeastern Sylhet to mobilise public opinion against the dam project.

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