DHAKA: External affairs minister S Jaishankar met Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday. Hasina offered her country’s seaport, Chittagong to India, for use by Assam and Tripura.
This would lead to better connectivity between the two countries.
Jaishankar also invited Hasina to visit New Delhi. The invitation was extended on behalf of PM Narendra Modi.
“I conveyed (her) that we look forward to her visit to India at a time her convenience,” Jaishankar said, adding that a number of issues relating to bilateral ties as well as rational and global issues came up as he called on the Bangladesh premier.
“Thank Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her warm reception. Conveyed personal greetings of PM @narendramodi. Our bilateral relations are moving from strength to strength under the guidance of the two leaders,” Jaishankar tweeted.
প্রধানমন্ত্রী শেখ হাসিনাকে উষ্ণ অভ্যর্থনার জন্য ধন্যবাদ। প্রধানমন্ত্রী @narendramodi- কে ব্যক্তিগত শুভেচ্ছা জানি… https://t.co/LUZekQQWOs— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) 1651157912000
The Bangladesh PM said that the two countries needed to increase connectivity, her press secretary Ihsanul Karim said.
She told Jaishankar that the enhanced connectivity was needed for mutual benefit while it would particularly benefit India’s northeastern region in using Bangladesh’s southeastern Chittagong port, Karim said.
The Bangladesh premier noted that initiative were taken to resume cross-border routes between Bangladesh and India which were stopped during the 1965 India-Pakistan war, when Bangladesh was eastern wing of Pakistan.
Karim said a number of bilateral and international issues were discussed during Prime Minister Hasina’s meeting with Jaishankar.
Jaishankar later held talks with his Bangladeshi counterpart AK Abdul Momen and then jointly briefed the media.
“Dr. Momen and @DrSJaishankar discussed the bilateral issues between Bangladesh and India. They expressed satisfaction about the ongoing Bangladesh-India cooperation, vowed to further strengthen the bilateral ties, stressed on regional stability for socio-economic development as a whole,” the Bangladesh foreign ministry tweeted.
Jaishankar was received at the Bangladesh Air Force Base Bangabandhu by foreign minister Momen.
His visit to Bangladesh is aimed at preparing the grounds for Prime Minister Hasina’s visit to India.
The two countries are expected to fix the date of the 7th Bangladesh-India Joint Consultative Commission (JCC) meeting, which is scheduled to take place in New Delhi.
Jaishankar would leave Dhaka for Bhutan on Friday morning.
(With inputs from PTI)
Home » Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina offers Chittagong Port for use by India as S Jaishankar calls on her