India, Bangladesh sign 5 key pacts; PM Modi hails 'productive' meeting with Sheikh Hasina

New Delhi: India and Bangladesh signed five MoUs to further enhance bilateral ties between the two nations during Prime Minister Narendra Modi delegation-level meeting with his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina on Saturday (March 27, 2021). PM Modi has since left for India after concluding his two-day visit to Bangladesh.

Taking to Twitter, the Prime Minister informed that: "India and Bangladesh signed MoUs in key sectors such as disaster management, sports and youth affairs, trade, technology and more. These will add strength to our development partnership and benefit the people of our nations, especially the youth."

India and Bangladesh signed MoUs in key sectors such as disaster management, sports and youth affairs, trade, technology and more. These will add strength to our development partnership and benefit the people of our nations, especially the youth. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 27, 2021

PM Modi visited the Jeshoreshwari and Orakandi Temples in southwestern Shatkhira and Gopalganj to offer prayers. “Today, I got the opportunity to offer prayers before Maa Kali…I prayed to her to free the human race from COVID-19,” he said.

PM Modi, who is visiting Bangladesh on his first overseas trip to a foreign country since the coronavirus outbreak, said that he had a 'productive meeting'. He held one-on-one talks with Hasina which was followed by a delegation-level meeting, which continued for over an hour.

They reviewed the full range of bilateral ties and discussed ways to deepen the economic and cultural linkages in the times to come.

PM Modi reiterates commitment to conclud Teesta deal 

PM Modi on Saturday reiterated India's "sincere and continued efforts" to conclude the long-pending Teesta water-sharing agreement, speaking on the matter, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said the Teesta issue was discussed during the talks between the two leaders.

"Prime Minister Modi reiterated India's sincere and continued efforts to conclude this agreement in consultation with relevant stakeholders," he told reporters. "River water cooperation is something that will continue...We have extensive cooperation," Shringla told PTI.

The Indian side also requested for early finalisation of the draft of the interim agreement for sharing of water of Feni River, pending with the Bangladesh side which had been agreed upon by both sides in 2011.

India, Bangladesh discuss nuclear cooperation

"A significant part of our third line of credit will go to civil nuclear cooperation. Transmission lines of Ruppur Nuclear Power Plant will be developed by Indian companies under the line of credit. Value of these transmission lines will be worth over $1 billion," Foreign Secretary Shringla said while highlighting the important decisions taken during the bilateral talks. Also, both sides have expressed interest in expanding the cooperation in the space sector. 

December 6 to be celebrated as 'Maitri Diwas' in India and Bangladesh

During the bilateral discussions on Saturday, PM Modi and PM Hasina decided to celebrate December 6 as 'Maitri Diwas' annually to mark the day on which India formally recognised Bangladesh. "PM Modi and PM Hasina decided to celebrate December 6, the day on which India formally recognized Bangladesh, as 'Maitri Diwas,'" Shringla said.

On Friday, PM Modi paid tributes to Sheikh Mujibur Rehman by laying a wreath at ‘Mausoleum of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’ in Tungipara.