Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has held extensive bilateral talks with her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi at the PM’s state guest house, Hyderabad House on 22 June.
The talks happened after a grand ceremonial welcome to Hasina at the president’s official residence Rashtrapati Bhavan, followed by Hasina paying tribute at the memorial site for Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi. She was gifted a book and a bust of Mahatma Gandhi.
Earlier, PressXpress was one of the first media houses to report about an expected “vision document”.
Modi and Hasina released the rare vision document, which is a guidance booklet for a “peaceful and prosperous future” for both countries.
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PM Hasina, addressing the joint presser, said that this vision statement is basically a “shared vision” for ‘Digital Partnership’ and ‘Green Partnership for a Sustainable Future’.
Hasina noted how this was her first bilateral visit to any country after the formation of her new government in January this year – as well as after the formation of the third Narendra Modi government this month.
She also recollected Modi’s visit to Bangladesh in 2021, and once again invited Modi to visit Bangladesh at his earliest convenience.
PM Modi started the presser by recalling 10 meetings with Hasina in the last year.
He added that “Bangladesh is at the confluence of India’s Neighbourhood First policy, Act East policy, Vision SAGAR, and Indo-Pacific Vision… and we are now going to cooperate on new areas as well.”
“Connectivity, commerce, and collaboration were key focus areas of the talks,” Modi said. “We will now focus more on digital and energy connectivity.”
Modi also mentioned CEPA, the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, as key to the financial growth of both countries.
“Both sides are ready to initiate talks on CEPA to take our economic ties to new heights. We have decided to initiate technical-level talks on the renewal of the 1996 Ganga Water Treaty (which expires in 2026). For the conservation and management of Teesta River in Bangladesh, a technical team will visit Bangladesh soon,” PM Modi said.
The two leaders also discussed furthering defense ties, defense production, cooperation on counter-terrorism, management of the border, and other issues.
Notably, an e-visa facility will be launched soon, for Bangladesh citizens seeking medical treatment in India.
India will also open an assistant high commission in Rangpur for the convenience of the people of the North West region of Bangladesh.
India and Bangladesh also exchanged memorandums of understanding (MoUs) and agreements in the presence of PM Hasina and PM Modi.
These include 7 new MoUs on blue economy & maritime cooperation, oceanography, rail connectivity, digital partnership, green partnership, military education, and space.
Three MoUs on fisheries, disaster management, and health and medicine were also renewed.
