India presses Bangladesh for transit to northeast

India on Friday pressed Bangladesh for transit rights to its landlocked northeastern states and assured safety to Dhaka as it was only for "peaceful purposes".

"There is nothing to be feared by giving these transits. Transit is only for peaceful purposes," India's External Affairs Minister SM Krishna said at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies.

He assured that if Bangladesh gave connectivity to India through its territory it could gain market access to the northeastern Indian states.

Bangladesh suspects that India would use the transit right to ferry weapons to northeastern states to combat insurgency.

Krishna also dispelled the impression among a section of Bangladesh about anti-Bangladesh sentiments in India.

"Having being responsible for the birth of a nation, can we act against that country?" he asked.

Krishna added there were hostile elements on either side and stressed it was both the governments' responsibility to objectify that they would work together for development.

He said, "India’s big size should not be held against it”.

Krishna wrapped up his three-day visit to Bangladesh Friday.

During his trip, India and Bangladesh on Thursday signed a key pact to enhance mutual investment and Bangladesh exports as they renewed their pledge to jointly combat terrorism.

Krishna's visit was expected to lay the groundwork for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Bangladesh early next month.