A Correspondent:
New Delhi: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said Dhaka and New Delhi agreed about a shared vision for digital and green partnership to ensure a sustainable future for both the nations.
“Both countries endorsed the ‘Vision Statement’ to guide us toward a peaceful and prosperous future. We agreed to have a shared vision for ‘Digital Partnership’ and ‘Green Partnership for a Sustainable Future,” she said.
The Bangladesh premier came up with the remarks in a joint statement before the media after a tete-e-tete and bilateral meeting with her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi followed by signing of several instruments at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi.
The entire gamut of binary relationship that includes sharing of water from common rivers, security and trade has prominently come for discussion during the bilateral meeting of two neighboring countries, she said.
Describing India as Bangladesh’s major neighbor, trusted friend, and regional partner, Sheikh Hasina said: “Bangladesh greatly values our relations with India, which were born during our War of Liberation in 1971.”
She also said Bangladesh-India relations are ever-growing at a fast pace.
“Yesterday, our two sides had very productive meetings where we discussed politics and security, trade and connectivity, the sharing of water from common rivers, power and energy, and regional and multi-lateral cooperation, among other issues of mutual interest,” she added.
The premier said, “We agreed to collaborate with each other for the betterment of our people and coun-tries”.
As Dhaka and Delhi have started new journeys, she said, “We charted the future course of action to en-sure a smart Bangladesh by following Vision 2041 and Viksit Bharat by 2047.”
Sheikh Hasina said they concluded MoUs, renewed several of them, and made announcements for future collaboration.
In recent years, she said both sides have sustained high-level engagements, including at the highest level.
The Indian president and its prime minister visited Bangladesh in 2021 to attend the celebration of the Birth Centenary of Bangladesh’s Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the 50-year celebration of Bangladesh’s independence, and the establishment of the two countries’ diplomatic ties, she said
The Bangladesh premier said she paid her last bilateral visit to India in September 2022 and later attend-ed the G20 Summit held under the Presidency of India in September 2023 in New Delhi as the leader of ‘Guest Country’-Bangladesh, the only country from South Asia.
“I am now visiting New Delhi for an unprecedented second time in the same month, June 2024,” she said.
Earlier on June 9, Sheikh Hasina attended with other world leaders the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his new cabinet.
“These are testaments to our two countries’ close engagement,” the premier said.
Mentioning her yesterday’s meeting with Narendra Modi, she said they discussed the ways and means of collaborative engagement between the two countries.
She also said she will also have meeting with the Vice President and the President of India later this (Saturday) afternoon.
“I believe all these meetings would give us more insights into enhancing our two countries’ cooperation,” she added.
Sheikh Hasina said this is her first bilateral visit to any country after Bangladesh’s 12th Parliamentary Elections and the formation of new government in January, 2024.
“I thank the Government of India for extending warm hospitality to me and my delegation,” she said.
The prime minister also recalled with gratitude the contribution of the government and the people of India to Bangladesh’s independence.
“I pay deep homage to the brave fallen heroes of India who sacrificed their lives during our War of Lib-eration in 1971,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina, as well, thanked her Indian counterpart for inviting her to visit India and re-invited Nar-endra Modi to visit Bangladesh at his earliest convenience.
