Bangladesh & India: A relationship going from strength to strength
This was Prime Minister Modi’s first overseas trip to a foreign country since the coronavirus outbreak, testifying to the importance he attached to Bangladesh, and the “Neighbourhood First” policy.
By IAR Desk
New Delhi: March 29, 2021: India and Bangladesh signed five MoUs to further enhance bilateral ties between the two nations during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s landmark visit to the neighbouring country to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the creation of Bangladesh and also to participate in celebrations marking the hundredth birth anniversary of its founder Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
This was Prime Minister Modi’s first overseas trip to a foreign country since the coronavirus outbreak, testifying to the importance he attached to Bangladesh, and the “Neighbourhood First” policy. He last visited Bangladesh in 2015, during his first term as Prime Minister.
One of the Prime Minister’s first engagement was paying tributes to Sheikh Mujibur Rehman by laying a wreath at ‘Mausoleum of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’ in Tungipara.
On a trip which combined diplomacy with cultural and religious outreach, he held one-on-one ‘productive meeting’ with Hasina which was followed by a delegation-level meeting, meetings with community leaders, civil society groups, and visits to the Jeshoreshwari and Orakandi Temples in southwestern Shatkhira.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on Twitter that: “India and Bangladesh signed MoUs in key sectors such as disaster management, sports and youth affairs, trade, technology and more. These will add strength to our development partnership and benefit the people of our nations, especially the youth.”
Both sides reviewed the full range of bilateral ties and the Indian prime minister reiterated India’s “sincere and continued efforts” to conclude the long-pending Teesta water-sharing agreement.
“Prime Minister Modi reiterated India’s sincere and continued efforts to conclude this agreement in consultation with relevant stakeholders,” Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said in his briefing.
The Indian side also requested for early finalisation of the draft of the interim agreement for sharing of water of Feni River, pending with the Bangladesh side which had been agreed upon by both sides in 2011.
Together Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also inaugurated three border “haats”, laid the foundation stone for five packages out of a total eight of Rooppur Power Evacuation Project and also jointly inaugurated Rabindra Bhawan facilities in Kuthibari, said the joint statement released by both sides.
India and Bangladesh discuss nuclear cooperation
Nuclear cooperation between Bangladesh and India are also on the anvil. “A significant part of our third line of credit will go to civil nuclear cooperation. Transmission lines of Ruppur Nuclear Power Plant will be developed by Indian companies under the line of credit. Value of these transmission lines will be worth over $1 billion,” Foreign Secretary Shringla said while highlighting the important decisions taken during the bilateral talks. Also, both sides have expressed interest in expanding the cooperation in the space sector.
Vaccine Maitri
India, on Saturday, gave 1.2 million free doses of the AstraZeneca coronavirus jabs to Dhaka on Saturday. This is in addition to the 9 million Covid 19 vaccine doses India had already shipped to Bangladesh.
Of these two million vaccines are a gift from India.
“Bangladesh has requested a regular supply of the remaining vaccines purchased from the Serum Institute,” Bangladesh’s foreign minister A.K. Abdul Momen said.
Both sides have also reached a decision to celebrate December 6 as ‘Maitri Diwas’ annually to mark the day on which India formally recognised Bangladesh. “PM Modi and PM Hasina decided to celebrate December 6, the day on which India formally recognized Bangladesh, as ‘Maitri Diwas,'” Shringla said.
“Relationship going from strength to strength! Prime Minister @narendramodi and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina discussed the progress achieved in areas of health, trade, connectivity, energy, developmental cooperation and many more,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi wrote on Twitter.
