New Delhi: India and Bangladesh ended their two-day talks on sharing of river waters early October 1 morning with Dhaka voicing concern over New Delhi's proposal to link major rivers saying it is a "big" issue for it.

Water Resources Minister Arjun Charan Sethi told his Bangladeshi counterpart Hafizuddin Ahmed during the 35th meeting of the Joint River Commission that India's river-linking project was at a "very early stage".

"India has told us that it is at very early stage...We must allow them time," Ahmed said while addressing a joint press conference along with Sethi.

Ahmed said that there were apprehensions in his country that the river-linking project will have severe consequence for it and maintained it was "a big issue for us".

He, however, said Sethi assured him that the project had not even been discussed with the states and "assured me it is far from being implemented".

PTI