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New Delhi: In a mirrored image of their quickly rising ties, India and Bangladesh on Thursday sealed seven agreements to additional broadbase cooperation in a plethora of sectors, and restored a cross-border rail hyperlink snapped by the 1965 battle with Pakistan. The restoration of the Chilahati-Haldibari railway hyperlink and signing of the pacts, offering for cooperation in areas of hydrocarbons, agriculture and textiles amongst others, got here at a digital summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina.
In his opening remarks, Modi stated the holding of the digital summit instantly after celebration of the Vijay Diwas (Victory Day) assumed “special significance” and famous that Bangladesh is a key pillar of India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ coverage.
On Wednesday, India started the 50th anniversary 12 months celebrations of its victory over Pakistan within the 1971 battle that led to the start of Bangladesh. Bangladesh celebrates December 16 as ‘Bijoy Dibosh’ (Victory Day). “It is a matter of pride for us to celebrate the historic victory of Bangladesh over the anti-liberation forces. Today, when Bangladesh is celebrating 49 years of independence, I pay homage to the armed forces personnel of both the countries who laid down their lives,” Modi stated.
The two prime ministers additionally collectively inaugurated a digital exhibition on Bangladesh’s founder Mujibur Rahman and Mahatma Gandhi in an effort to have a good time the life and legacies of the 2 iconic leaders.
The inauguration of the Chilahati-Haldibari rail hyperlink is predicted to boost connectivity to Assam and West Bengal from Bangladesh. It was a part of the broad gauge essential route from Kolkata to Siliguri until 1965.
However, the battle of 1965 successfully reduce off all of the railway hyperlinks. Both sides have already restored 4 different rail hyperlinks that have been suspended in 1965. Initially, the Chilahati-Haldibari rail hyperlink will facilitate the motion of products and cargo. Passenger motion may even begin after the event of required infrastructure on each side.
In his feedback, Modi stated strengthening and deepening India’s relations with Bangladesh has been a particular precedence for him since he took workplace, including cooperation between the 2 international locations has been “good” however the coronavirus pandemic. “It has been a challenging year due to the epidemic. But it is a matter of satisfaction that India and Bangladesh had good cooperation in this difficult time,” the prime minister stated. “We are also having good cooperation in the field of vaccine. We will also take special care of your needs in this regard,” he stated in regards to the coronavirus vaccine.
Modi additionally thanked Hasina for inviting him to go to Bangladesh subsequent 12 months. “Thank you for the invitation to visit Bangladesh next year. It would be a matter of pride for me to pay tribute to Bangabandhu with you. Bangladesh is a major pillar of our ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy,” he stated.
In her assertion, Hasina described India as a “true friend”. She additionally counseled the way in which India confronted the coronavirus disaster and hoped that it might contribute considerably in restoration of the worldwide economic system that has been severely hit by the pandemic.
In the summit, Modi additionally thanked Hasina for the contribution of Bangladesh underneath the framework of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). “Apart from health issues, this year our special partnership has been steadily advancing in other areas as well. We reduced barriers in the land border trade; expanded connectivity between the two countries…All this reflects our intentions to further strengthen our relationship,” Modi stated.
The ties between India and Bangladesh have witnessed a big upswing in the previous few years. Both sides have scaled up commerce and financial engagement moreover implementing a variety of connectivity and infrastructure initiatives.
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