PM Hasina says her visit to Hungary has boosted idle Dhaka-Budapest ties

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina says her visit to Hungary has boosted a rather slack Dhaka-Budapest relations.

"My visit has injected fresh momentum into the idle relations with Hungary and opened new doors for the ties to reach the full potential," she told journalists at a media briefing at the Ganabhaban on Saturday.

She said she discussed ways to fight effects of climate change with Hungarian President János Áder. Technical cooperation for water management was also discussed, she added.

Hasina, the first Bangladesh prime minister to visit Hungary, returned to Dhaka on Wednesday after a three-day state visit to the country.

Besides joining the Budapest Water Summit 2016, the prime minister also had a bilateral meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

The two prime leaders witnessed the signing of three Memoranda of Understanding to boost cooperation between the two countries in water resources management and agriculture and between the foreign offices. 

The Bangladesh premier also attended a meeting of Bangladesh-Hungary Business Forum during the visit.

At Saturday's press conference, she said she had discussed ways to boost trade between the two countries and investment from Hungary.

Hungary, one of the first European countries to recognise Bangladesh as an independent nation following the 1971 Liberation War, also agreed to give full scholarships to medical, agriculture and science students from Bangladesh.

After the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975, Hungary closed its embassy in Bangladesh. Officials hinted that the country may reopen the embassy in Dhaka by 2018.