Bangladesh, India sign seven new MoUs to further elevate ties

The next-door neighbours also renew three MoUs during Hasina’s two-day state visit

Dhaka and New Delhi have signed 10 memorandums of understanding, or MoUs, in the presence of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to further consolidate friendship.

The MoUs include seven new and three renewed agreements, according to state-run news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha or BSS.

The MoUs were signed on Saturday after the delegation-level talks between the two countries at the Hyderabad House as the Bangladesh premier is now in New Delhi on a two-day state visit.

The talks mainly featured connectivity, energy, sharing of water from common rivers, maritime resources, trade, border management, security and development partnership.

After the delegation level meeting, Hasina along with her Indian counterpart witnessed the exchange of MoUs on the key areas of blue economy and maritime cooperation, railway, capacity building, health, academic cooperation, fisheries and disaster management, the BSS said.

Of the seven new MoUs, a MoU on the Field of Blue Economy and Maritime Cooperation in the Bay of Bengal and India Ocean Region was signed between Bangladesh and India.

Another MoU was signed between Bangladesh Oceanographic Research Institute, BORI, and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, CSIR, of India for joint research on oceanography of the Indian Ocean and capacity building.

Along with a MoU on rail connectivity between the countries, two separate shared visions of India Bangladesh Digital Partnership and shared vision of India Bangladesh Green Partnership for a sustainable future were signed between the two sides as well.

Another MoU between Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre, IN-SPACE, and Department of Space and Bangladesh’s Ministry of Posts, Telecommunication and Information Technology was signed for collaboration on a joint small satellite project.

A MoU between the DSSC, Wellington and DSCSC Mirpur for cooperation concerning military education in the field of strategic and operational studies was also signed.

Three renewed MoUs are - MoU for Fisheries Cooperation; MoU for Disaster Management; and MoU on Cooperation in the Field of Health and Medicine.