India – Bangladesh Forge Ties to Expand Cooperation, Connectivity

Manas Dasgupta

NEW DELHI, June 22: The Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his visiting Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina on Saturday held extensive talks to shore up cooperation in diverse areas including trade and connectivity and decided to expand cooperation in several new areas and inked a raft of agreements, including to boost ties in the maritime sphere and blue economy.

The key pacts signed by the two sides included one on forging strong ties in the digital domain and another on having a “green partnership.” The two sides also inked an agreement on railway connectivity.

The Bangladesh PM who was the first foreign guest on a bilateral State Visit to India after the formation of the Modi 3.0 government, was earlier given a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan on Saturday.

The Ministry of External Affairs termed this a ceremonial welcome for a “special partner.” PM Hasina had arrived in India on Friday on a two-day State visit at the invitation of Mr Modi. The External Affairs ministry said her visit would give a “major boost” to India-Bangladesh ties.

The external affairs minister S Jaishankar had called on the Bangladesh PM on Friday. Following the meeting, the Union Minister said that her state visit highlights “close and abiding ties” between the two countries. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was among the international leaders who attended the swearing-in of the Modi 3.0 government on June 9.

“Today we have prepared a futuristic vision for cooperation in new areas. The youth of both the countries will benefit from the consensus reached on cooperation in areas such as green partnership, digital partnership, blue economy and space,” Mr Modi said in his statement to the media after his talks with his Bangladeshi counterpart. .

In her remarks, Ms Hasina described India as Bangladesh’s major neighbour and a trusted friend. “India is our major neighbour, trusted friend and regional partner. Bangladesh greatly values our relations with India, which were born out of the War of Liberation in 1971,” she said. “I recall with gratitude the contribution of the government and the people of India to Bangladesh’s independence,” she said.

She also paid homage to the “brave fallen heroes of India” who sacrificed their lives in the 1971 war. “Today, we had very productive meetings where we discussed cooperation in areas of security, trade, connectivity, sharing of water from common rivers, power and energy, and regional and multilateral cooperation,” she said. “We agreed to collaborate with each other for the betterment of our people and countries,” she added.

In a post on X, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “PM @narendramodi extended a warm welcome to PM Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh at Hyderabad House ahead of their bilateral discussions,” adding, “The two leaders have met each other ten times since 2019, making unprecedented transformations in the relationship.”

Earlier, the Bangladesh Prime Minister visited Rajghat and laid floral wreaths at the memorial site where Mahatma Gandhi was laid to rest. After she paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, PM Hasina was gifted a book and a bust of Mahatma Gandhi.

“This visit will give a major boost to India-Bangladesh ties,” Mr Jaiswal said in a social media post. “PM Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh arrives in New Delhi on a State Visit to India. Warmly welcomed by MoS @KVSinghMPGonda at the airport. Bangladesh is a key partner and trusted neighbour of India. The visit will give a major boost to this celebrated bilateral partnership,” read Mr Jaiswal’s post on X.

Over the years, India and Bangladesh have forged a multifaceted relationship, marked by a shared history, culture, and geographical proximity. The two neighbours enjoy warm ties, which have further expanded under the leadership of PM Modi and Sheikh Hasina.

The year 2023 witnessed a spur of bilateral activities between both countries as an embodiment of the strength of the relationship. Both Prime Ministers jointly inaugurated the India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline on March 18 in a virtual format. The Bangladeshi PM also participated virtually in the Inaugural Session of the Voice of the Global South Summit on January 11, 2023 and the second Virtual Voice of the Global South Summit on November 17, 2023.