Bangladesh will sign up to 35 agreements and memoranda of understanding during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s state visit to India, Foreign Minister Abul Hasan Mahmood Ali has said.
The prime minister is due to leave for a four-day visit 
tomorrow.
A senior energy official said Bangladesh would sign a number of agreements to import electricity. At present Bangladesh produces up to 8,500MW of electricity and demand rises more than 8% annually.
“The deals include among others expansion of bilateral trade and investments, co-operation in energy sector, availing credit, distribution and management of water of common river, safer guard of border, ensuring security, prevention of illegal trade of drugs and human trafficking,” the foreign minister told a news conference.
India is expected to announce a fresh credit worth about $5bn for infrastructure development, like railways, roads and 
waterways, one official said.
“That will be a concessionary credit, as a symbol of excellent relations between the two countries,” he said.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said the ruling Awami League (AL) will never compromise with the country’s interests while signing any deal with any country.
“We’ll do everything maintaining the friendly relations. There’ll be no harm to our country,” she said.
Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leaders allege that the government is going to sign a deal with India during the PM’s Delhi tour 
ignoring the country’s interests. 
The prime minister said vested quarters will talk about many things in many ways. “But, if you keep your conscience awake and put it on the right path, you cannot sacrifice your country’s interests,” she said. 
She said her government is realising its due rights one after another from the neighbouring countries keeping the friendly relations intact. 
Hasina said her government has settled the maritime boundary disputes with India and Myanmar through International Court and got its due share maintaining friendly relations with the neighbouring countries.
She alleged that the BNP-Jamaat clique was involved in truck arms haul incident and patronising militancy and 
terrorism in Bangladesh.