Bangladesh signs 7 deals with India following Hasina-Modi talks in New Delhi

Bangladesh has signed seven bilateral agreements with India, aiming to deepen ties between the neighbouring countries.

The development was announced at the end of high-level talks between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in New Delhi's Hyderabad House on Saturday.

 

The deals inked by the South Asian nations include memoranda of understanding or MoUs on the establishment of a coastal surveillance system, cooperation in youth affairs, a cultural exchange programme and the withdrawal of 1.82 cusec of water from Feni River by India under a drinking water supply scheme for Tripura.

Agreements on the use of the Chattogram and Mongla ports for movement of goods to and from India andthe renewal of a line of credit committed by New Delhi to Dhaka were also signed along with an MoU between Dhaka University and the University of Hyderabad. 

After witnessing the signing and exchange of the documents, the two premiers launched three joint projects via video link.

These involve the import of liquefied petroleum gas or LPG from Bangladesh to northeast India, the inauguration of Bangladesh-India Professional Skill Development Institute in Khulna and the Vivekanand Bhawan at the Ramakrishna Mission in Dhaka.

Over the last decade, Bangladesh and India have witnessed remarkable progress in cooperation in a large number of areas, Hasina noted.

“These include newer areas of cooperation for mutual benefit such as satellite systems, renewable energy, blue economy and maritime affairs, peaceful uses of nuclear energy, outer space technology, internet band width sharing and cyber security,” said Hasina.

The Bangladesh leader believes the two countries have set an example to world on good neighbourliness predicated on multi-faceted cooperation and said she is confident that the bilateral ties will scale even greater heights in future.

“I have inaugurated nine projects through video link in a year. With the addition of these three projects, we have now launched a dozen joint projects in the last year,” said Modi while lauding the exemplary relations currently enjoyed by India and Bangladesh.

Earlier, India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called on Hasina and reaffirmed his country's highest priority to relations with Dhaka.

Hasina is also scheduled to pay a courtesy call on Indian President Ram Nath Kovind later in the day.

The Asiatic Society will then honour her with the 'Tagore Peace Award' at the Taj Mahal hotel where she is staying during the trip.