New Delhi : Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Monday said that as Bangladesh commemorates fifty years of its independence it has proven its detractors wrong by emerging as a role model for strong socio-economic growth.
In his Interaction with a Bangladesh Delegation, led by Shahriar Alam, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, at the 10th India-Bangladesh Friendship Dialogue Organized by the India Foundation, the FS said the growth of Bangladesh is not just in the interest of the people of Bangladesh, but equally, in the interest of the region and beyond.
“It is this spirit of interdependence and fraternal ties that drive our development cooperation with Bangladesh, which is the largest that we have with any country,” he added. He stressed the need to work closely to strengthen border infrastructure to ensure smooth transit of goods and people while ensuring that illegal activities are kept under check, and added that an example of this approach is India’s objective of establishing additional border haats. Two-way trade has witnessed a quantum jump with exports from Bangladesh, for the first time, expected to cross USD 2 billion this year, he said, and added that early conclusion of a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement is vital to enhancing this momentum in trade.
Connectivity is another area that needs concerted focus, more effective and sustained efforts, the Foreign Secretary said. He said 2021 was a milestone in their bilateral ties as both the President of India and the Prime Minister paid a visit to Bangladesh to celebrate the ‘Triveni’ of the historic anniversaries of Bangladesh’s independence, Victory Day and the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also paid a visit to Dhaka last year. “These high level engagements are reflective of the priority that both countries attach to this relationship. More importantly, they reflect the trust and confidence that we have in each other,” he said. On the issue of connectivity, he said that while both have signed an ‘Agreement on the Use Chattogram and Mongla Ports for Transshipment of Goods to and from North East of India’, full operationalization of the agreement will bring economic benefits to stakeholders from both countries. “While North East India will benefit from steady supply of goods, the transport and logistics sector in Bangladesh will gain considerably, bringing prosperity on both sides of the border”.
On the issue of enhancing connectivity through the use of inland waterways, he said in a significant development on February 5, 2022, a cargo vessel carrying food grains sailed from Patna (in Bihar) and will travel via the waterways of India and Bangladesh to reach Pandu (in Assam) in early March. Referring to PM Modi’s ‘Gati Shakti’ initiative on upgrading connectivity in India with a multi-modal perspective, he said the bilateral arrangements should also reflect this paradigm to take advantage of their geographical proximity.
He said during Covid, both countries assisted each other in tackling the different waves of the pandemic. India provided medical oxygen to Bangladesh through special Oxygen Express trains of the Indian Railways. “….both sides utilized rail connectivity to ensure uninterrupted supply of essential goods to the people of Bangladesh. I cannot think of a better example of how connectivity can benefit the people of our two countries,” the FS added. Shringla said the historic accord on Ganga water sharing has stood the test of time, and both sides are working on finalizing agreements for other rivers and exchanging best practices in the areas of river embankments, addressing salinity of rivers, etc.
A Bangabandhu Chair has been recently established in Delhi University, he said and added that more such dialogues and exchanges between academia, think tanks, media and parliamentarians to further broaden and deepen this relationship is needed. On cooperation in the power sector, he said they are working towards arrangements for ensuring sub-regional cooperation in the power sector.
He said the key projects, including the Maitri Power Project in Khulna and the India Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline project, are expected to get commissioned this year. As part of people-to-people ties, India has started rolling out the 1000 Subarna Jayanti Scholarships announced by PM Modi during his visit to Bangladesh last year. “India remains committed to building the momentum of regional cooperation under the BIMSTEC Framework. It can be an important vehicle for enhancing economic cooperation, development and connectivity in the region. We are looking forward to the next BIMSTEC Summit,” he added.
“I want to stress on the importance of nurturing and upholding the spirit of the 1971 liberation war, especially at a time when radical and anti-liberation forces try to destabilize our region for their own interests,” he said. Earlier in the address he said he was happy to see such a high level delegation from Bangladesh led by Shahriar Alam, including Ministers, MPs and political leaders, former High Commissioners to India and diplomats, and academics and intellectuals.
“Today, Bangladesh is commemorating ‘Ekushey’ or Language Day. 70 years ago on this day, the youth of the then East Pakistan made supreme sacrifices for the recognition and respect for their mother language. Now the whole world celebrates this day as the International Mother Language Day. I pay my tributes to the language heroes who laid down their lives.”
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.
