2024-03-23 09:01:33
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has sought cooperation in importing electricity from Bhutan using Indian land.
The Prime Minister expected this cooperation when Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Prannoy Verma paid a courtesy call on him at the Prime Minister’s official residence Ganabhaban on Thursday.
At the end of the meeting, the Prime Minister’s speech writer. Nazrul Islam told reporters, “The Prime Minister has asked for help from the Indian side to easily import the expected electricity.”
In the briefing, Nazrul Islam mentioned that Bangladesh will import electricity from Bhutan and an agreement in this regard will be signed during the visit of King Jigme Khesar Namgyal of Bhutan to Dhaka on March 25.
Bangladesh is planning to import electricity from Bhutan and the talks between Bhutan and Bangladesh are almost at the final stage, officials said.
Sheikh Hasina urged the Indian government to withdraw the anti-dumping measures on imports of jute and jute products from Bangladesh. He also told the High Commissioner that India can modernize the Syedpur Railway Workshop.
In the meeting, regarding the upcoming elections in India, the Prime Minister said that the continuous democratic system has made the unprecedented development of Bangladesh possible.
He pointed out that after the brutal assassination of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and before 1996, the decision to win the election and which party would come to power was decided by certain circles.
That’s why Awami League could not win in 1991 even though it got public support, Sheikh Hasina said, ‘But in 1996, certain circles bowed to the will of the people. In 2008, Awami League broke the vicious circle for the first time.
Prannoy Verma noted that a total of four projects were implemented in Bangladesh under the Indian Line of Credit (LoC) last year and two more projects are in the pipeline for implementation.
The Indian High Commissioner mentioned some of the landmark initiatives of the two countries like Rupee-Taka bilateral commercial transactions, digital payment network and Bangabandhu biopic. He said India is committed to take forward negotiations for the Comprehensive Economic Partnership (CEPA).
The Indian High Commissioner mentioned that this CEPA will be helpful after the transition of Bangladesh to a developing country in 2026.
He said new thinking and discussions are underway to create a new structure to make the LoC project-based.
The meeting discussed the establishment of high power grid lines between Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal.
Prannoy Verma said that there are plans to expand the diesel pipeline from Syedpur to Natore to import diesel from India. He said that some world renowned defense industries are shifting their factories to India.
The High Commissioner said Bangladesh can set up a defense factory here in joint venture with India. He congratulated Sheikh Hasina as Prime Minister of India.
Prannoy Verma invited the Prime Minister to visit India after the Indian National Elections and he accepted the invitation. The High Commissioner also informed the Prime Minister that they are interested in setting up an office in Rangpur. In response, the Prime Minister said that the government will scrutinize and consider the proposal.
Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister. Tofazzal Hossain Mia was present at this time.