Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is set to make her long-awaited trip to New Delhi within the next two months, according to the foreign ministry officials in Dhaka.
Officials of the two neighbouring countries are now working on the visit, they said.
Bangladesh and India have finalised dozens of draft documents – deals and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) – to take into consideration for signing during Prime Minister Hasina’s expected bilateral visit to New Delhi to strengthen ties between the two countries in key areas.
The two countries are also working on dates convenient to both sides, officials at the
foreign ministry said.
A meeting on sub-regional co-operation held last month with PM’s economic affairs adviser Mashiur Rahman in the chair reviewed the progress on formulating MoUs and agreements to be signed during the prime minister’s next visit which Dhaka sees as an
important one.
A source close to the meeting told newsmen that the Bangladesh side is likely to propose nine MoUs, including an MoU between the Geological Survey of Bangladesh and Geological Survey of India, another among Bangladesh, Bhutan and India for joint investment in 1,125 megawatt Kuri-1 hydropower project in Bhutan proposed by the ministry of power, energy and mineral resources division, before the Indian side for
signing.
The MoU between the National Medicinal Plants Board, Ministry of Ayush, India and the relevant ministry of Bangladesh on co-operation in the field of medicinal plants has already been sent to the ministry of foreign affairs, the document reads.
The other MoUs to be proposed by the Bangladesh side long-term visas for Bangladeshi nationals aged over 65 under the ministry of home affairs and MoU for establishing border markets along the border
between Bangladesh and India.
The official also informed that the meeting discussed 20 MoUs and agreements proposed by the Indian side.
A deal between Petronet LNG of India and Petrobangla of Bangladesh for promoting joint ventures in the natural gas sector, framework agreement between the governments on co-operation in the area of geostationary communication satellites, bilateral agreement related to orbit frequency co-ordination of Satellite for Saarc Region proposed at 48-degree E are among the 20 MoUs.
The instruments as proposed by the Indian side also include develop regional co-operation between Indian Coast Guard and Bangladesh Coast Guard, MoU between Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) and State Trading Corporation of India (STCI).
Besides, a MoU on trilateral co-operation for successful implementation of the Rooppur Nuke plant project and MoU between India Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and Dhaka University for the establishment of ICCR chair for Hindi language are also among the
20 MoUs.
In June 2015, India and Bangladesh inked 22 agreements, including a historic one, to settle the longstanding border dispute and a bilateral trade document during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to
Bangladesh.
Hasina’s New Delhi visit is in the pipeline since December last year but it is getting delayed as both the leaders are extremely busy with domestic issues, diplomatic sources said.
Foreign Minister Mahmood Al earlier described prime minister’s upcoming New Delhi visit ‘important and sensitive’ and mentioned that the date of her visit is yet to be finalised.
The prime minister was scheduled to visit New Delhi in December last but was deferred for certain scheduling problem.
At the invitation of Hasina, Indian Prime Minister Modi visited Bangladesh in June 2015.
Hasina, during the visit, requested Modi for immediate conclusion of the interim agreement on sharing the Teesta water as agreed upon by both the governments in January 2011.