Delhi to take ties with Dhaka to new height
New Indian envoy tells PM
Newly appointed Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Harsh Vardhan Shringla yesterday said New Delhi gives its highest priority to its relations with Dhaka and wants to carry forward the ties to a “new height”.
The Indian envoy came up with the remark when he met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her office here in the morning.
Shringla also referred to a recent meeting between Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Bangladesh State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam in New Delhi.
"India will provide all-out support to Sheikh Hasina's government," the Indian envoy quoted Sushma as saying.
After the meeting, PM's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters.
At the meeting, Hasina sought the support of neighbours to achieve her government's goal of establishing a poverty-free prosperous Bangladesh.
About the power and energy sector development, she put emphasis on expanding the regional cooperation between Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Bhutan in the field.
Noting that her government has made the seaports free for using by neighbours, the premier said Saidpur Airport could be used as a regional airport for further development.
Pointing to the Motor Vehicle Agreement among Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN), Hasina said she has taken this initiative for boosting connectivity among the four nations.
In this connection, she reiterated that Bangladesh wants to revive the rail routes that were closed after the 1965 Indo-Pakistan war.
The Indian high commissioner highly appreciated Bangladesh's stunning development in the socioeconomic field under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina over the last seven years.
Underlining the need for setting up more checkposts along India-Bangladesh border, the envoy said the movement of people of both countries will get easier for it.
Mentioning that there is a scope for more investment in Bangladesh, Shringla said Indian companies are interested to make further investment in Bangladesh.
Referring to India's initiative for launching “Saarc Satellite”, the envoy said Bangladesh could join the initiative.
PM's International Affairs Adviser Gowher Rizvi and PM's Principal Secretary Abul Kalam Azad were present at the meeting.