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Published : 09 Feb 2024, 09:46 PM
Indian President Droupadi Murmu has said a ‘strong, stable and prosperous’ Bangladesh is in India's interest.
She made the statement when Bangladesh Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud called on her at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Friday, her office said in a post on X.
“The President said that a strong, stable and prosperous Bangladesh is in India's interest, and there is immense political will on both sides to see the relationship grow,” the Rashtrapati Bhavan said in the post.
The foreign ministry said Mahmud’s meeting with Murmu was ‘very cordial’.
Mahmud later told reporters in New Delhi that he extended Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s invitation to Murmu.
The Indian president praised Hasina as a ‘strong lady’ and congratulated her on her fifth election victory – fourth in a row, Mahmud said. She also hailed Hasina for her work in women’s empowerment.
In a statement, the President’s Secretariat said Murmu expressed confidence that under Hasina’s leadership, Bangladesh will achieve new milestones of progress and prosperity.
The Indian president expressed satisfaction at the progress made in almost all areas of bilateral cooperation, such as border and security, trade, connectivity, power, infrastructure, people-to-people contacts etc.
She noted that both sides have been reviving rail, road and waterways that traditionally linked the people and economies on both sides, and are also creating new connectivity links.
Murmu said all the women in South Asia should be proud of Hasina for her capability and leadership, according to the foreign minister.
Mahmud also met with the Vice President of India and the ex-officio chairman of the Rajya Sabha Jagdeep Dhankhar at the Indian Parliament.
Earlier in the morning, the foreign minister met with Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal.
Mahmud said he discussed with Goyal India’s export of perishable products to Bangladesh, including 50,000 tonnes of onions and 100,000 tonnes of sugar before Ramadan.
The foreign minister requested Goyal to ensure uninterrupted supply in order to keep the market stable during the Islamic holy month of fasting.
In a statement, the foreign ministry said Mahmud and Goyal stressed further improving cooperation in different sectors, especially trade, connectivity, power, defence, security, and water-sharing.
Goyal said India is committed to ensuring the economic and financial stability in Bangladesh, according to the statement.
He assured Mahmud of accommodating his request for supplying essential commodities, the foreign ministry said.
