New Delhi, Aug. 17 -- Former senior diplomat Vidya Bhushan Soni on Monday expressed optimism as discussions remain underway for a visit by Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to India, noting that his visit could open a new window of opportunity for strengthening India-Bangladesh ties and resolving long-pending bilateral issues.

In an interview to ANI, Soni said, "I am hopeful. There are lot of pending issues to be sorted out. There's the Tista River issue, which is very vital. We had agreed on most of the things but later on some fine points were missed out... I think Bangladesh is also equally keen on Rohingya's refugee issues. They want India to play a more active role. India cannot do anything else except as an active role as an...