Bangladesh says bilateral ties with India ‘rock solid’

EXTERNAL AFFAIRS minister S. Jaishankar said ‘very few countries in the world share such close fraternal ties as those of ours and that our partnership today stands out as a role model in the region for good neighbourly ties’

In what is being seen as an assurance to India, Bangladesh on Monday termed bilateral ties as “rock solid”, adding that in the past few years both countries “have scripted a golden chapter (‘sonali adhyaya’)” under the leadership of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The remarks by Bangladesh foreign minister A.K. Abdul Momen was on the occasion of a virtual ceremony that marked India’s handing over of 10 Broad Gauge (BG) locomotives to Dhaka to boost rail connectivity between the two nations, seen by both countries as a “vital element of bilateral cooperation in promoting trade and connectivity and in boosting the economic partnership”.

It may be recalled that China has been trying to increase its economic influence in Bangladesh which New Delhi is only too aware of. This also comes at a time when Pakistan is trying to fish in troubled waters by reaching out to Bangladesh and raking up the Kashmir issue with it.

The Bangladesh foreign minister, meanwhile, also said bilateral ties with India were based on “shared principles, values and history touching almost every sphere of life including politics, culture, trade, security, water, energy and much more”.

Terming Monday’s event as the “fulfilment of an important commitment made during the visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India last October”, New Delhi asserted that “the two countries need to work together to expedite many of the ongoing projects”.

Echoing the warm sentiments, external affairs minister S. Jaishankar said “very few countries in the world share such close fraternal ties as those of ours” and that “our partnership today stands out as a role model in the region for good neighbourly relations”.

Praising the leadership of Sheikh Hasina, Mr Jaishankar told his Bangladesh counterpart, “As your close friend and neighbour, we are indeed happy to witness the transformative growth.”