Anjali Sharma
GG News Bureau
WASHINGTON DC, 23rd June. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday reassured his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina of India’s commitment to realize ‘Bangabandhu’ Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s vision of a stable, prosperous and progressive Bangladesh as the two neighbours signed 10 major accords in diverse fields, including defence, and announced the launch of a train service between Rajshahi and Kolkata and a bus service between Chittagong and Kolkata.
”We had extensive discussions on further strengthening defence cooperation, from defence production to modernisation of armed forces. We have decided to strengthen our engagement on counter-terrorism, de-radicalisation and peaceful management of borders. We share a common vision for the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative,” Mr Modi said at a joint media interaction with Sheikh Hasina after wide-range of talks between the two leaders.
Modi said the two countries have prepared a futuristic vision for cooperation in new areas. The youth of both countries will benefit from the consensus reached on cooperation in many areas such as Green partnership, Digital Partnership, Blue Economy, Space and ‘Maitri Satellite’.
He said the two countries have decided to start negotiations at the technical level for the renewal of the 1996 Ganga Water Treaty.
PM Modi reiterated that the two countrie propose to take their economic relations to new heights and have agreed to start negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.
Sheikh Hasina described India as a major neighbour, trusted friend and regional partner of Bangladesh. ”Bangladesh greatly values our relations with India, which were born during our war of liberation in 1971. I pay homage to the brave, fallen heroes of India who sacrificed their lives during our war of liberation in 1971,” she said.
Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said a technical committee has been constituted to look at the Teesta Water restoration Project. The committee’s mandate has more to do with the management of water flow than water sharing, as he briefed reporters on the meeting between the two leaders.
Mr Kwatra said that the decision to enhance defence cooperation between the two countries, India will help Bangladesh armed forces in modernisation and capacity-building. I
India will also see how it can fulfil the needs of the Bangladeshi forces.
The MoU between the two countries, he said, pertains to cooperation concerning military education in the field of strategic and operational studies.
Mr Kwatra said the two leaders agreed to give an impetus to bilateral and sub-regional cooperation in a vision document that seeks to realise India’s vision of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047 and Bangladesh’s vision of a ‘Smart Bangladesh’ by 2041.
The MoUs signed between the two sides include Shared Vision for India-Bangladesh Digital Partnership, Shared Vision for Green Partnership, Maritime Cooperation and Blue Economy, Railways Connectivity, Cooperation in Health and Medicine and Disaster Management.
Both nations made some important announcements after the talks between the two leaders, Mr. Kwatra stated.
These include: e-visa for medical patients from Bangladesh, new Assistant High Commission of India in Ranpur in Bangladesh, commencement of a goods train between Gede-Darsana and Haldibari-Chilahati up to Dalgaon, construction of an Inland Container Depot (ICD) at Sirajganj under grant assistance, commencement of export of 40 MW of power from Nepal to Bangladesh through Indian grid and 350 training slots for Bangladeshi police officers.
Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh Masood Bin Momen and India’s Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra facilitated the exchange of documents, underscoring mutual commitments in digital collaboration.
A Shared Vision on the India-Bangladesh Green Partnership focused on environmental initiatives and sustainable development goals.
MoU was exchanged on Maritime Cooperation and Blue Economy: Strengthening ties in maritime security, cooperation, and exploring opportunities in the blue economy sector.
MoU for Cooperation on Health and Medicine was renewed, reflecting ongoing collaboration in healthcare between the two nations.
MoU between In-Space and Bangladesh’s Ministry of ICT and Telecom was exchanged, enhancing cooperation in space technology and satellite communication, signed by Chairman and CEO of Bangladesh Satellite Company Ltd Shahjahan Mehmood and Secretary Department of Space S Somnath.
MoU was exchanged between the Ministry of Railways, India and Bangladesh’s Ministry of Railway. Aimed at enhancing railway connectivity and facilitating smoother cross-border transportation, the MoU was exchanged by Mohamed Humayun Kabir and Chairperson of the Railway Board Jaya Sinha.
MoU for Cooperation in Oceanography was exchanged to promote joint research and exploration in ocean sciences, signed by the High Commissioner of Bangladesh to India, Mohammed Mustafizur Rahman and High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh, Pranay Verma.
An MoU between the NDMA (National Disaster Management Authority) and Bangladesh’s Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief was renewed to strengthen disaster management strategies and resilience efforts.
Modi and Hasina also oversaw the renewal of the MoU for Cooperation in Fisheries, which will continue joint efforts in sustainable fisheries management and aquaculture.
MoU was exchanged between DSSC (Defence Services Staff College) Wellington and DSCSC (Defence Services Command and Staff College) Mirpur which will promote military education and strategic studies cooperation, exchanged in the field of defence.
This exchange of MoUs came after Modi and the visiting Bangladesh PM held delegation-level talks.
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