Following discussions between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his visiting Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday, India and Bangladesh are anticipated to sign at least six agreements for cooperation in sectors ranging from sharing of river waters to connectivity.
Tuesday morning, Hasina received a tri-services guard of honour on the Rashtrapati Bhavan forecourt prior to the meeting. When she arrived at the presidential residence, Modi welcomed her and introduced her to a number of ministers, including JP Nadda, Kiren Rijiju, and S Jaishankar.
Following the ceremony, Hasina made a few brief comments to the media in which she asserted that friendly nations like Bangladesh and India could solve all global issues. We usually handle problems together because friendship can do that, she remarked.
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She referred to India as “our cherished friend,” recalling the nation’s assistance during the 1971 conflict that resulted in Bangladesh’s separation from the former East Pakistan. She claimed that Bangladesh owed India for its assistance during the Liberation War while speaking in a mixture of Bengali, Hindi, and English.
One agreement on the sharing of the waters of the Kushiyara river, which was finalized during a meeting of the bilateral Joint Rivers Commission last month, is among those that are anticipated to be signed on Tuesday. According to those with knowledge of the situation, agreements on collaboration in the railway and energy sectors will also likely be signed.
According to Bangladesh foreign secretary Masud bin Momen, Hasina brought up the unrest in Myanmar’s Rakhine state and her worries that it would get worse during a meeting with external affairs minister S Jaishankar on Monday. According to Jaishankar, who was quoted by Momen, India is also closely monitoring the unrest, which is bad for the area.
A huge nation like India can “do a lot” to assist in finding a solution to the issue of Rohingya refugees from Rakhine, according to Hasina, who made this statement during a brief engagement with journalists at a diplomatic reception at the Bangladesh high commission late on Monday.
Momen added that Hasina had brought up a number of unresolved issues that needed to be prioritized, such as Nepal’s plans to ship commodities to Bangladesh’s ports via Indian soil and a suggestion for improved connectivity through the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal (BBIN) alliance.
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According to Momen, Hasina and Jaishankar also spoke about the international repercussions of the Ukraine situation and measures to work together to mitigate its effects. If India has any surplus supplies, he continued, Bangladesh may consider purchasing petroleum and gas from under “mutually agreed terms and circumstances.”
