Modi invites PM Hasina to visit India

Indian external affairs minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar (L) calls on prime minister Sheikh Hasina at her official Ganabhaban residence in Dhaka on Tuesday. Photo: PID
Indian external affairs minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar (L) calls on prime minister Sheikh Hasina at her official Ganabhaban residence in Dhaka on Tuesday. Photo: PID

Indian external affairs minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday expressed his country’s interest in enhancing cooperation in energy sector, especially in hydroelectricity projects, to meet the growing demand of energy in the two neighbouring countries, reports news agency UNB.

“Hydroelectric projects can be implemented effectively as the cost of such projects are lower,” Jaishankar said when he called on prime minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence, Ganabhaban, in the capital.

He also handed over a letter of invitation of India’s prime minister Narendra Modi to prime minister Sheikh Hasina for her visit to India in the first week of October.

Sheikh Hasina extended her thanks to Modi for the invitation and greeted him.

Prime minister’s press secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed newsmen after the meeting.

He said the Indian minister mentioned that the India-Bangladesh relations have taken a new height in the last five years.

“Understanding and collaboration in different sectors have increased.”

The Indian minister also put emphasis on simplifying the process of visits by the people of the two countries and increasing the regular contacts between the two friendly counties.

Sheikh Hasina said the avenues in the field of connectivity between the two countries are widening. “Many routes in rail, road and air connectivity between Bangladesh and India have been opened,” she said.

She further said Bangladesh and India have wonderful relations and excellent cooperation in different sectors as the two countries have solved many problems bilaterally.

Mentioning the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA), she said, “It (LBA) was done creating an example in the world ... India's all parties in parliament unanimously supported the LBA Bill.”

The prime minister said India can use Bangladesh’s Chattogram, Mongla and Payra ports.

Calling India a true friend of Bangladesh, she said New Delhi is continuing support to Bangladesh since independence.

Foreign minister AK Abdul Momen, Bangladesh High Commissioner in New Delhi Syed Muazzem Ali, Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Riva Ganguly Das and PMO secretary Sajjadul Hassan were present at the meeting.

The Indian external affairs minister arrived in Dhaka last night on a three-day official visit at the invitation of his Bangladesh counterpart AK Abdul Momen.

It is Jaishankar's first Bangladesh visit after taking oath of office in Narendra Modi's cabinet on 30 May.