Integrated sub-regional ties stressed
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh calls on President Zillur Rahman at Bangabhaban in the city yesterday. Photo: PID
Visiting Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh yesterday observed that an integrated sub-regional cooperation needs to be built among Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal for expediting socio-economic development of the people of these areas.
The Indian premier made the comments while paying a courtesy call on President Zillur Rahman at Bangabhaban.
Dr Singh arrived here on Tuesday with a 136-member official delegation on a two-day visit for joining at a Dhaka-Delhi bilateral summit for resolving longstanding frontier problems and easing trade imbalance and cooperation in other sectors.
During the 25-minute talk, President Zillur Rahman said the visit of Manmohan will create a new horizon in the bilateral cooperation between Bangladesh and India.
This is the first visit by an Indian head of government to Bangladesh in last 12 years.
The Indian premier apprised the Bangladesh president of various features of agreement, protocols, and memorandum of understandings (MoUs) signed between Bangladesh and India Tuesday.
Dr Singh said a sound cooperation between India and Bangladesh should prevail for implementing effective counter-terrorism strategy in the region.
He said India is keen to increase its commerce relation with Bangladesh through boosting up trading as well as investing at the country's potential sectors. India is also keen to increase its cooperation in agriculture sector for socio-economic development of Bangladesh, he added.
The Indian premier said people of both India and Bangladesh will be benefited in the long run from ongoing new chapter of bilateral relations between New Delhi and Dhaka that was initiated by the India visit of Bangladesh Premier Sheikh Hasina in 2010. He lauded the leadership of Bangladesh prime minister.
Dr Singh expressed his gratitude to the government and people of Bangladesh for conferring the Bangladesh Freedom Honour, the highest civilian award for foreigners, on former Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi as recognition of her singular contribution during the country's War of Liberation in 1971.
He also expressed his gratitude to the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to give him a chance to work at Bangladesh planning commission in 1972 just after the independence of the country.
President Zillur Rahman termed India a trusted friend and recalled the crucial support of the Indian government and its people during the country's independence war.
He expressed the hope that the existing excellent bilateral relation between Bangladesh and India would reach a new height in the days to come.
Through the Indian premier, the Bangladesh president invited Indian President Pratibha Patil to visit here in her convenience.
During the talks, Indian External Affairs Minister SM Krishna, Chief Minister of Assam Tarun Gogoi, Chief Minister of Meghalaya Mukul Sangma, Chief Minister of Mizoram Lal Thanhawla, Chief Minister of Tripura Manik Sarkar, National Security Adviser of India Shivshankar Menon, Foreign Secretary of India Ranjan Mathai, and Indian High Commissioner to Dhaka Rajeet Mitter was present on the Indian side.
On Bangladesh side, Food and Disaster Management Minister Dr Abdur Razzak, Foreign Secretary M Mijarul Quayes, Secretary of the President's Office M Shafiul Alam, Military Secretary to the President Major General Kazi Fakhruddin Ahmed, Press Secretary to the President A K M Nesar Uddin Bhuiyan and Additional Secretary to Foreign Ministry M Mustafa Kamal were present.
After the meeting, the Indian prime minister signed the visitors' book of Bangabhaban.
Earlier on his arrival at Bangabhaban, President Zillur Rahman welcomed Dr Singh with bouquet.
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