India and Bangladesh resolved on Tuesday to further strengthen their bilateral ties, including trade, water- sharing, connectivity and nuclear energy with Prime Minister Narendra Modi noting Bangladesh is the biggest trade and development partner in the region.
He also called for jointly facing terrorist and fundamentalist forces that threaten to attack mutual trust between the two nations.
The Prime Minister made these observations after holding talks with visiting Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The two countries inked seven pacts, including one on sharing of waters of Kushiyara River, which will benefit the regions of southern Assam and Bangladesh’s Sylhet region. Hasina urged early conclusion of the Teesta water sharing agreement.
The interim water sharing agreement for Kushiyara river is the first such pact since the signing of the Ganga water treaty in 1996. The Ganga water pact for a period of 30 years was signed by then Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and Hasina.
On his talks with the visiting dignitary, Modi said, “Today we also stressed on cooperation against terrorism and fundamentalism. To keep the spirit of 1971 alive, it is also very necessary that we face such forces together, who want to attack our mutual trust.”
On water sharing pacts, the Indian Prime Minister said 54 rivers pass through the borders of India and Bangladesh and are linked to the livelihood of the people of both the countries for centuries.
“I recall that the two countries have resolved many issues in the spirit of friendship and cooperation. We hope that all outstanding issues, including Teesta water sharing agreement, will be concluded as an early date,” Hasina said at a joint media interaction with Modi at the Hyderabad House here.
As regards flourishing trade between the two neighbours, Modi said, “Across Asia, India is the biggest market for exports from Bangladesh. To further expedite this progress, we will soon initiate discussions on a bilateral economic comprehensive partnership agreement.”
He also said India-Bangladesh relationship will achieve new heights in the coming time adding, “Today, Bangladesh is India’s biggest development partner and our biggest trade partner in the region. There is a continuous improvement in the people-to-people cooperation.”
Modi said trade between India-Bangladesh is increasing rapidly and both the countries have decided to extend cooperation in the Information Technology (IT), space and nuclear sectors. Talks are also underway between the two sides on power transmission lines, the Prime Minister said.
Modi and Hasina also talked about Bangladesh flood situation, terrorism, bilateral, regional and international issues. “We have extended our cooperation on flood mitigation. We have been sharing real-time data regarding floods with Bangladesh and have also discussed terrorism. It’s imperative, that we together face the forces that are adversarial to us,” Modi said.
Hasina said the outcome of the discussions with Modi will benefit the people of both countries and congratulated the Indian government on the “successful completion of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.” She underlined that India is the most important and closest neighbour of Bangladesh and the bilateral relations between the two countries are known to be role models for neighbourhood diplomacy.
Hasina also offered floral tributes at Rajghat, the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi.
She arrived in Delhi on Monday afternoon on a four-day visit. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called on Hasina on Monday evening. Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani also called on the Bangladeshi Prime Minister on Monday evening. Hasina also visited Nizamuddin Aulia Dargah in the national Capital on Monday and is scheduled to travel to Ajmer Sharif on Thursday.
Bangladesh is now India’s biggest trade partner in South Asia and the bilateral trade has grown from USD 9 billion to USD 18 billion in the last five years. It has also become the fourth largest export destination for India with the exports registering a growth of over 66 per cent from USD 9.69 billion in 2020-21 to USD 16.15 billion in 2021-22. The visiting Prime Minister on Monday had said India can do a lot to help her country deal with the issue of Rohingya refugees and that both countries can work jointly to rejuvenate the cross-border rivers.
She made the comments during an informal interaction with a group of reporters on the sidelines of a reception hosted for her by the Bangladesh High Commission. Over 10 lakh Rohingya refugees are currently living in Bangladesh after fleeing from Myanmar’s Rakhine. Hasina also talked about the scope for Bangladesh and India to work together to carry out dredging of cross-border rivers so that they can be rejuvenated. She said the dredging of rivers will improve their flow.
Hasina said she expected to have a meeting with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee but it could not happen. She is like a sister, I can meet her whenever I want… We have always had good relations,” the Bangladeshi Prime Minister said. Giving details of the talks between Modi and Hasina, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said later India is aware of the Rohingya issue. There is a global appreciation of Bangladesh’s role in giving them refuge. “We’ve also provided financial help. In the future, whatever assistance is required India will give and support all efforts towards their repatriation to Myanmar,” he said.
Kwatra said both leaders underscored the importance of continuing our close security cooperation in the fields of counter-terrorism, border management, cross-border crimes and agreed to further enhance our development partnership including upgradation of railway infra projects in Bangladesh.
