India-Bangladesh Ties

: India and Bangladesh have a pivotal role to play in ensuring the security of the region, Chief of Bangladesh Air Force Air Marshal Shaikh Abdul Hannan said here on Saturday. Speaking as the chief guest at the Combined Graduation Parade of Flight Cadets of various branches of the Indian Air Force, Hannan said both the countries have an umbilical connection and that relation has been more profound since the Bangladesh liberation war in 1971. Both the countries have a significant role to play in ensuring the security of the region and our defence forces conduct regular joint exercises to ensure that we have synergy in our efforts, he said. Noting that Bangladesh Air Force was born in Dimapur in India on September 28, 1971, the air force chief of the neghbouring country said with that heritage today both the countries have an understanding of mutual trust and respect. India and Bangladesh have an umbilical connection. This connection has been more profound since the Bangladesh ...

Newly-appointed Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma called on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina here on Wednesday during which they pledged to work together to curb terrorism in the region. Verma, a 1994-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, met Hasina a month after presenting his credentials to President Abdul Hamid on October 27. India has a policy for neighbouring countries. But Bangladesh gets the highest priority. Bangladesh always gets priority in any case, Verma was quoted as saying by a PMO spokesperson during his meeting with Prime Minister Hasina at her official Ganabhaban residence. Noting that Bangladesh is "a very good friend" of India, Verma said the two countries will work together to stamp out terrorism in the region. Echoing the envoy's comments, Hasina said Bangladesh has vowed not to allow terrorists to use its soil. "(The ruling) Awami League never ever pampers terrorism and it never allows the use of Bangladesh soil for the purpose," she said. She

President Droupadi Murmu on Friday said India is proud to be a friend and partner in the liberation war of Bangladesh and continues to share the development journey with it. She said that liberation of Bangladesh and its rise and prosperity is an inspiring story for the world community. Youth of Bangladesh have a past which is full of glory, and a future that is full of promises, Murmu said, while addressing a youth delegation from Bangladesh, who had called on her at Rashtrapati Bhavan here. President Murmu said India is proud to be a friend and partner in the Liberation War of Bangladesh and continues to share the development journey with Bangladesh, according to a Rashtrapati Bhavan statement. It is important for us to preserve this spirit, which continues to inspire the deep friendship between our two countries and our people, it said. The president said that Bangladesh occupies a very special place in the hearts and minds of every Indian. Our countries share deep civilisatio

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Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged Indian businesses to invest in her country's infrastructure projects, manufacturing, energy and transport sectors. During her four-day state visit to India, Hasina made the pitch to attract Indian investors to Bangladesh at a business event organised by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) on Wednesday. Bangladesh is uniquely located to export its products to North East India, Bhutan and South East Asian countries and several initiatives have been taken to increase connectivity," she said. Speaking at the meeting of select CEOs organized by CII, the Bangladesh Prime Minister said, I would urge Indian investors to consider possible investments in infrastructure projects, manufacturing, in energy and transport sectors. Indian investors and business houses can set up industries in Bangladesh through Buy-Back arrangements by reducing time, cost and resources. She further highlighted, Bangladesh is uniquely located to enable Indi

India and Bangladesh on Tuesday signed an interim water sharing agreement for Kushiyara river, the first such pact since the signing of the Ganga water treaty in 1996. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina noted that India and Bangladesh share 54 rivers and sought early conclusion of the Teesta water sharing agreement, which has been hanging fire for more than a decade due to opposition from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. India and Bangladesh signed a memorandum of understanding on sharing of waters of Kushiyara river, a pact that will benefit people residing in southern Assam and the Sylhet division of Bangladesh. "Today, we have signed an important agreement on sharing water of the Kushiyara river. This will benefit southern Assam in India and Sylhet region in Bangladesh," Modi told reporters after the talks with Hasina. He said there were 54 rivers that pass through the Indo-Bangladesh border, and have been linked to the livelihood of the people of the two countri

Bangladesh's growth story runs into global economic instability, expensive fuel and slowdown in textile orders

All eyes are set on Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's upcoming visit to India between September 5 and 8, during which she will have a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi

Bangladesh and India are expected to sign seven pacts in areas including water management, railway and science and technology during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to New Delhi beginning Monday, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said on Sunday. Hasina will leave for New Delhi on Monday for the four-day visit at the invitation of her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi. "We hope the visit will be very successful. It will help achieve our goals," Momen was quoted as saying by the Daily Star newspaper. The two sides will also hold talks on fuel oil, the minister said. The MoUs are expected to address sectors like water management, science and technology, railway, law, information and broadcasting among others, he said. "However, the discussion on the MoUs is ongoing. Their numbers could even increase," added the minister. Issues related to security cooperation, investment, enhanced trade relations, power and energy sector cooperation, water sharing of common rivers, water resources

India and Bangladesh are likely to unveil a raft of measures to boost cooperation in areas of defence, trade and river water sharing during Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's four-day trip to India beginning Monday. The two sides are expected to ink several agreements, including one on interim sharing of the Kushiyara river water following talks between Hasina and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday. On Thursday, Hasina is scheduled to travel to Ajmer in Rajasthan to visit the Dargah of the revered Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti. Hasina's delegation is set to comprise Foreign Minister A K Abdul Momen, Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi, Railways Minister Md Nurul Islam Sujan, Liberation War Minister A K M Mozammel Haq and Mashiur AKM Rahman, the economic affairs advisor to the PM. During her visit from September 5 to 8, the Bangladesh prime minister will also call on President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar. The two sides will announce measures to enhance .

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will visit India from September 5 to 8, with a focus on strengthening the "multifaceted" bilateral ties. The two sides are expected to ink an agreement on interim sharing of water of the Kushiyara river during Hasina's visit. The Bangladeshi prime minister is also likely to travel to Ajmer in Rajasthan to visit the Dargah of revered Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti. Announcing Hasina's visit, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said she will hold bilateral discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and will call on President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar. Hasina last visited New Delhi in October 2019. "In the recent years, both sides have sustained high level of engagement, including at the highest level," Bagchi said. "The forthcoming visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will further strengthen the multifaceted relationship between the two countries based on strong historical and cultural ties and mutu

India and Bangladesh on Thursday discussed issues related to water-sharing treaties of Teesta, Ganga and other rivers at a minister-level meeting of the Joint Rivers Commission (JRC), Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said. Bangladesh Minister of State for Water Resources Zaheed Farooque led a 17-member delegation at the ministerial talks with his Indian counterpart Shekhawat. "Attended the 38th India-Bangladesh ministerial level Joint Rivers Commission meeting at New Delhi. Bangladesh's Minister for Water Resources Mr. Zaheed Farooque attended it along with their 17-member delegation. "Issues related to water-sharing treaties of various rivers, including Teesta and Ganga were discussed," Shekhawat tweeted. Sources in the Jal Shakti Ministry said that bilateral cooperation in water-sharing and management came up at the JRC meeting and six other rivers other than Ganga and Teesta were also covered. The JRC meeting, the first since 2010, comes ahead of Bangladesh Pr

Ahead of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to India, a minister-level meeting of the Bangladesh-India Joint Rivers Commission is scheduled on August 25, sources said. No official comment has been made by the government but sources said water-sharing treaties of the Teesta and other rivers may be discussed in the meeting. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to travel to India on September 5 on a three-day visit during which defence cooperation and regional stability are likely to be the focus of the talks with her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, an official said on Monday. The Teesta river dispute is an important point of bilateral talks between India and Bangladesh, as the latter has sought a fair and equitable distribution of Teesta waters from India. The two countries signed an agreement in 2011 to share surface waters at the Farakka Barrage near their mutual border. However, the proposed deal was called off after repeated objections by West Bengal

Enhancing comprehensive connectivity between India and Bangladesh through the North East is an important aspect of bilateral cooperation and significant progress has been made in recent years

Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen arrived in India on Saturday on a three-day official visit that will include his participation in the Joint Consultative Commission (JCC)

The cross-border bus service between Bangladesh and India resumed on Friday, two years after its suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic."Resumption of India-Bangladesh Cross-Border Bus Services! Bus services b/w India-Bangladesh via ICP Agartala-Akhaura & ICP Haridaspur-Benapole resumed with the Dhaka-Kolkata-Dhaka bus being flagged off from Dhaka early morning today-a major step forward in enhancing affordable, people-centric connectivity," tweeted High Commission of India in Bangladesh.Tazul Islam, chairman of Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC), had confirmed that the service would resume to The Daily Star on Thursday.The development comes after the rail service between the two countries resumed on May 29. The train service between the two countries was suspended since March 2020 in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. Two trains travel between India and Bangladesh, Bandhan Express operates between Kolkata and Khulna, Bangladesh while Maitree Express connects Kolkata ...

External Minister Dr S. Jaishankar on Saturday said that India has been supplying 1,160 MW of electricity to Bangladesh and 1,500 MW more is already in the pipeline.

Here is the best of Business Standard's opinion pieces for Monday