Bangladesh is considering better connectivity as a top priority during the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit, the country’s foreign minister said on Friday.
“It’s the connectivity issue what Bangladesh is focusing on,” Bangladeshi foreign minister AH Mahmood Ali said in Dhaka.
“This is a delicate moment for bilateral relations for both the countries. We are looking forward to signing deals that would ensure better connectivity between India and Bangladesh,” he said.
The foreign minister listed a number of possible deals, protocols or memorandum of understanding (MoUs) that are expected to be signed during the two-day visit starting Saturday.
Ali said Modi and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina would exchange ‘instrument of ratification’ for the Land Boundary Agreement through which the implementation of the agreement would begin. “Through this deal the sufferings of the people living in enclaves will be resolved. They will get citizenship and all other state facilities. A new chapter for Bangladesh-India relations is going to start through this deal,” the minister said.
The two sides are expected to sign deals that include bilateral trade agreement, riverine protocol, coastal shipping deal, cooperation deal for ensuring standard of goods and cultural exchange programmes.
{{/usCountry}}The two sides are expected to sign deals that include bilateral trade agreement, riverine protocol, coastal shipping deal, cooperation deal for ensuring standard of goods and cultural exchange programmes.
{{/usCountry}}“Both sides will also sign MoUs for better coastal security, arresting human trafficking, checking counterfeit currency and cooperation for sea-based blue economy,” the foreign minister said.
He, however, refused to disclose whether there would be any agreement for line of credit from India.
The concern came as officials had earlier said Modi would unveil a $2 billion line of credit for infrastructure schemes in Bangladesh.