PM’s India trip to strengthen Dhaka-Delhi relationship: MEA
The forthcoming visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to New Delhi will further strengthen the multifaceted relationship between the two countries based on strong historical and cultural ties and mutual trust and understanding, says India on Thursday.
PM Hasina will pay a state visit to India from 5 to 8 September at the invitation of her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi. She last visited New Delhi in October 2019, reports UNB.
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen on Thursday said they will soon brief the media in detail about the upcoming visit of the prime minister.
During her visit, PM Hasina will meet Indian President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar apart from holding bilateral consultations with her counterpart Modi.
Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will also call on PM Hasina. Hasina is also likely to visit Ajmer, said the Indian ministry of external affairs (MEA).
In recent years, both sides have sustained a high level of engagement, including at the highest level, the MEA said.
Bangladesh and India have finalised the text of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on interim water sharing of Kushiyara River ahead of PM Hasina's visit.
The first unit of the Maitree Super Thermal Power Plant will go into commercial operation in early October in a major stride in growing Bangladesh-India power sector cooperation, officials said.
Unit-I of 1320 (2x660) MW coal-fired power plant was successfully synchronized with the national grid on 15 August.
After completion and successful synchronisation of Unit-I of the power plant, further synchronization-related activities are currently being undertaken, following which Unit-I will be handed over to the government of Bangladesh, said the officials involved in the project.
Prime Minister Hasina and her Indian counterpart Modi are expected to jointly announce the completion of Maitree Super Thermal Power Plant first unit’s construction during her visit to India.
The two countries also welcomed finalisation of the design and location of water intake point on the Feni river to meet the drinking water needs of Sabroom town in Tripura as per the October 2019 Bangladesh-India MoU on this subject.
At the 38th ministerial level Joint Rivers Commission (JRC) meeting held in New Delhi on 25 August, Bangladesh requested India in signing the MoU for withdrawal of water by Bangladesh and India from the common stretch of Kushiyara River at an early date. The Indian side assured that the issue is under their consideration.
Both sides agreed to conduct the feasibility study for optimum utilisation of water received by Bangladesh under the provision of the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty, 1996.
India and Bangladesh share 54 rivers, of which seven rivers have been identified earlier for developing the framework of water sharing agreements on priority.