Harsh Vardhan Shringla meets Bangladesh PM, mulls road map on bilateral ties

DHAKA: Visiting Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla met with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and held discussions on various bilateral issues, including a two-year road map vis-a-vis the relations between the two countries.

During the meeting held on Tuesday, Hasina was told that her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi wanted to ensure that both countries should remain in "direct communication even during the Covid-19 situation", a highly placed source said.

It is learnt that the discussions also focused on the possible cooperation in tackling Covid-19, including therapeutics and vaccines.

The source said that the Indian Foreign Secretary and the Bangladesh leader discussed "security issues of mutual interest".

Shringla called on the Bangladesh Prime Minister to deliver a message from Modi, as he began a previously unannounced two-day visit aimed at boosting bilateral ties.

Shringla also discussed the proposal for a 'travel bubble' with Bangladesh regarding business, official and medical purposes.

During the discussions, Hasina spoke about the Rohingya refugees and reiterated her desire to "see an early and safe repatriation" of the refugees to Myanmar.

It was pointed out that in the recent past, both countries had updated their inland water protocol and started a cargo ferry service. India has even presented locomotives to Bangladesh.

In addition, the two sides hope to finalise the Akhaura-Agartala rail link, the 1,320 MW Khulna thermal plant as well as other projects, which would be inaugurated next year in time for the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between India and Bangladesh.

This is Shringla's first trip abroad since the Covid-19 outbreak. It is also the first visit to Bangladesh by a senior Indian official since travel restrictions were put in place due to the pandemic.

According to the source, the visit was a 'special gesture' from Hasina, who has not met any other foreign dignitary over the last four months because of the pandemic.

Shringla, a former High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh, was accompanied in the meeting by outgoing Indian High Commissioner Riva Ganguly Das.

Bangladesh will get priority for the Covid-19 vaccine produced by India, Shringla assured.

"Our bilateral relations are far better now than before. India gives much importance in strengthening these relations in the wake of Covid-19 outbreak," the visiting Foreign Secretary told the media after the meeting at a city hotel in Dhaka. (IANS) 

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