News Desk:

The Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said the people of both countries will be benefited from the cooperation in all the areas identified during her India visit and the decisions taken to solve the existing bilateral problems.

“I think that my visit, after a long break of three years due to the Covid pandemic, has opened a new horizon in Bangladesh-India relations. All aspects of Bangladesh-India relations were discussed during my visit,” said the Prime Minister in her written speech ahead of the question-answer session at her post-India visit press conference here today.

Sheikh Hasina said both the counties highlighted sincerity and pledge to continue cooperation between the two countries on the basis of equality and respect as good neighbours.

She said Teesta water sharing, cessation of border killings, trade expansion, withdrawal of anti-dumping duty on Bangladesh jute products, repatriation of the Rohingyas, import of electricity from Nepal and Bhutan via India, were discussed.

“After all, in the changed world situation, this visit would accelerate both the countries to move forward together in a new way. I firmly believe that this cooperation will continue for the welfare of the people of both countries and the South Asia, including Bangladesh and India, will become a prosperous region soon,” added the Prime Minister.

She said the people of both countries will be benefited from the cooperation in all the areas identified during this visit and the decisions taken to solve the existing problems.

During the visit, the sides signed seven Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) including withdrawal of 153 cusec of water from Kushiar river to Bangladesh under Surma-Kushiara project, Scientific and Technological Cooperation between Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), she said, adding that  MoUs were also signed between India and Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), MoU between the National Judicial Academy in Bhopal, India and the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, MoU between the Ministry of Railways (Railway Board), Government of India and the Ministry of Railways, Government of Bangladesh on Training of Bangladesh Railway Personnel in India, MoU between theMinistry of Railways (Railway Board), Government of India and the Ministry of Railways, Government of Bangladesh on Collaboration in IT systems such as FOIS and other IT Applications for Bangladesh Railway,  between the Indian state-run television ‘Prasar Bharti’ and Bangladesh Television (BTV) on Cooperation in Broadcasting and MoU on Cooperation in the Areas of Space Technology between BTCL and NSIL.

Sheikh Hasina said as per the MoU, Bangladesh will receive 153 cusecs of water under the Surma-Kushiara project from the common river Kushiara and as a result, 5,000 hectares of land will get irrigation facilities through Rahimpur Link Canal.

Apart from this, the premier said, an agreement has been made on cooperation in the fields of environment, climate change, cyber security, space technology, green economy, cultural and people-to-people communication, she added.

“We agreed to complete the construction work of the second gate proposed by India at the Petrapol- Benapole border as soon as possible to expand trade. A delegation from Bangladesh will soon visit India to participate in the start-up fair,” she added.

In this context, she said some more MoUs are under discussion in the IT sector, which we expect to be finalized soon. If these MoUs are signed, I think Bangladesh will march forward another step towards achieving “Digital Bangladesh”.