Bangladesh and India have signed seven instruments during the bilateral talks between visiting Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.
The meeting was held at the Hyderabad House at New Delhi on Saturday (Oct 5) when the two prime ministers opened three projects through video conferencing.
The projects are Bangladesh-India Professional Skill Development Institute (BIPSD) at the Institution of Diploma Engineers in Khulna, Vivekananda Bhaban in capital Dhaka, and Bangladesh’s export of LPG to Tripura of India.
The instruments are on withdrawal of 1.82 cusec water from the Feni river by India for supplying to Sabroom town in Tripura, costal surveillance system, and Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on the use of Chattogram and Mongla ports for movement of goods to and from India.
The deals also include an agreement concerning implementation of the Lines of Credit (LoCs) committed by India to Bangladesh, an MoU between University of Hyderabad and University of Dhaka, renewal of cultural exchange programme, and another MoU on cooperation in youth affairs.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is on a four-day visit to India at the invitation of Narendra Modi to attend India Economic Summit of the World Economic Forum (WEF).
Earlier in the morning, Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar called on the Bangladesh prime minister at Hotel Tajmahal and reaffirmed India’s “highest priority” to its relations with Bangladesh.
After the meeting with Jaishankar, Sheikh Hasina went to Hyderabad House for the official talks with Modi who ‘warmly welcomed’ the Bangladesh prime minister there around 11:30am.
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen, State Minister for Foreign Affairs M ShahriarAlam, Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Syed Muazzem Ali and Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Riva Ganguly Das were present at the meeting.
The bilateral meeting was followed by lunch at Hyderabad House where Sheikh Hasina signed on the visitors’ book.
The Bangladesh leader is supposed to make a call on Indian President Ram Nath Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhavan at 4:00pm.
She will attend the Tagore Award-giving ceremony at Hotel Tajmahal around 5:00pm to receive the award.