Delhi has total support for Hasina

Visiting Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra has said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has the total support of his country.

"We have total support for you and your leadership," a PMO spokesperson quoted him as telling the premier during his meeting with her at the Gono Bhaban yesterday.

Hasina said Bangladesh considered India as a trusted friend, and expressed hope that this friendship would deepen further.

Briefing the media after the meeting, Prime Minister's Speechwriter Md Nazrul Islam said Kwatra told Hasina that his country would stand by Bangladesh in its development endeavours, including political and economic progress.

He said the Indian foreign secretary invited the PM to the 18th G20 Summit, scheduled to be held in New Delhi on September 9-10.

Hasina accepted the invitation and thanked her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, the current chair of the G-20, for inviting Bangladesh as a "guest country" to all its meetings.

The top bureaucrat of the Indian foreign office described Dhaka-New Delhi ties to be "very firm" and said the entire world now valued the relationship as it reached a strategic level.

"This relationship is being strengthened further," he added.

Hasina said both countries can work on the socio-economic development of their peoples.

Kwatra said New Delhi was trying to make the terms and conditions of Indian Line of Credit (LoC) easier so that Bangladesh could avail the credit and repay it easily.

He said the currencies of the two countries could be used to run bilateral trade and businesses.

Prime Minister's Principal Secretary M Tofazzel Hossain Miah, Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen and Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma were present.

Earlier in the day, the Indian foreign secretary held Foreign Office Consultation (FOC) with his Bangladeshi counterpart Masud Bin Momen, reports The Hindu.

The foreign secretaries of the two countries led their respective delegations to the FOC held at the Foreign Service Academy.

During the meeting, both sides reviewed bilateral partnership, including political, security, trade, investment, defence, connectivity, water, power and sub-regional cooperation, the Indian high commission in Dhaka tweeted.

They also agreed to maintain close engagement in the context of Bangladesh's participation in the 18th G20 Summit as a guest country.

The last FOC was held on January 29, 2021, in New Delhi.

Also yesterday, Kwatra called on Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen and held "productive exchange of views on further strengthening the wide-ranging partnership between India and Bangladesh", according to tweets by the Indian high commission.

Speaking to reporters at the Foreign Service Academy, Foreign Secretary Masud said India has assured Bangladesh of extending its cooperation for importing hydropower from Nepal and Bhutan through its territories, reports UNB.

He said during the FOC they also discussed the "practical problem" in terms of transmission lines inside Bangladesh as there is a need for expanding the transmission network and boosting its capacity.

Masud said India will help Bangladesh if any specific project is taken up for expanding the transmission network and boosting its capacity within Bangladesh to supply electricity smoothly.

Bangladesh will also explore whether Indian LoCs can be used if any specific project is taken up in consultation with the ministry concerned for the expansion of transmission lines inside Bangladesh.

The Indian foreign secretary arrived in Dhaka on Tuesday evening on an official visit to Bangladesh at the invitation of Masud.