Talking to reporters on his arrival for common rivers' water sharing talks, he said Bangladesh has the right to know what India is planning to do with common rivers' waters, says BSS.

Optimistic about adopting a respective agenda today, Hafizuddin said priority for Bangladesh is to have sharing agreements on all the 54 common rivers with India. Presently, the only agreement exists is Ganges Water Sharing Treaty signed between the two countries back in 1996.

This time, he said, sharing the Teesta and six other common rivers -- Dharla, Manu, Khowai, Muhuri, Dudhkumar and Gumti -- would be discussed. "We will also want to know about the barrage India plans to build on the Barak at Fulerhat and a hydro-dam on the same river at Tipaimukh.

Earlier, Indian Water Resources Minister Arjun Charan Sethi set aside protocol to receive his Bangladesh counterpart at the airport. Hafiz will lead a 10-member delegation.

Sethi and Hafiz will hold a one-to-one meeting before the delegation level discussion. The two-day meeting will begin at 10:30am at a 5-star hotel in New Delhi, our correspondent from New Delhi reports.

"Everything relating to sharing the Teesta and six other common rivers are ready for talks," Sethi told BSS.

Sethi said all these issues would be on the agenda for discussion to be adopted today at the first session.

On the river inter-linking project, he said, "This is very much at conceptual and nascent stage. We have not yet decided about the project inside the country [India]."

Asked to comment on Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's assertion that the river project would begin later this year, Sethi said it (Vajpayee's statement on Indian Independence Day) relates to Sardar Sarovar project involving three Indian provinces of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.

Sethi also said the river-linking project was facing a lot of problems within India itself with many provinces opposing the idea.

He said a taskforce, headed by former central minister Suresh Prabhu, is talking negotiating with different provinces to sort out differences on the project.

UNB adds the Bangladesh delegation is expected to visit the Farakka Barrage during October 1-2 to observe the situation of apportionment of waters of the common river Ganges.

The delegates will particularly have a spot view of the Head Regulator and Navigation Lock of the Feeder Canal connecting the barrage, and its two banks.

The other delegates are Water Resources Secretary Saif Uddin, Bangladeshi High Commissioner to India Tofael Karim Haider, Director General of Bangladesh Water Development Board Mukle-suzzaman and member of the Joint Rivers Commission Tahidul Anwar Khan.

The delegation is expected to return on October 3.