Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has stressed the importance of the Bangladesh-India joint venture for setting up the Ganges Barrage on the Padma River to store water for the dry season.
Published : 25 Oct 2015, 08:04 PM
She said this at a meeting with Indian High Commissioner Pankaj Saran in her office on Sunday.
Her Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim later briefed the media.
There is another barrage on the river on the Indian side, at Farakka, about 100 km upstream of the barrage planned at Rajbarhi, in Bangladesh.
The project is estimated to cost Tk 320 billion.
Hasina and Saran also discussed the construction of a Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) terminal to transport the fuel across border to India’s north-eastern state of Tripura.
The prime minister said Bangladesh was examining the Indian proposal.
She expressed happiness over the implementation of the Land Boundary Agreement to swap enclaves and she thanked her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.
She said her office was overseeing programmes to develop these former enclaves.
The prime minister stressed sub-regional cooperation to bolster the power sector.
Saran lauded Hasina’s leadership in strengthening the ties between the two neighbours.
Her International Affairs Advisor Gowher Rizvi and Principal Secretary Abul Kalam Azad were present at the meeting.
Earlier, she met Turkish Ambassador Devrim Öztürk, Karim said.
She emphasised the need for introducing direct air flights between Bangladesh and Turkey to augment bilateral trade and business.
She also said the two countries needed to do more in defence sector.
Öztürk said there was no alternative to international unity and cooperation in tackling militancy.
Her Advisor Rizvi and PMO Secretary Suraiya Begum were present at the meeting.