Dhaka, Delhi sign 22 deals

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina share a moment after signing of agreements in New Delhi in India on Saturday. — AP photo

Dhaka and New Delhi have signed 22 instruments covering diverse areas of bilateral cooperations including economic, defence cooperation, power, peaceful use of nuclear energy, outer space, information technology and mass media.
The deals were signed following the official bilateral talks between Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina and Indian prime minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Saturday.
The two prime ministers witnessed the signing ceremony of documents after their talks at Hyderabad House, Indian prime minister’s office.
Four memorandums of understanding, out of the 22 documents, were exchanged in presence of the two prime ministers ahead of their joint press briefing following the bilateral talks.
Two prime ministers along with West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee flagged off new passenger bus services for Khulna-Kolkata route, trial run of Khulna-Kolkata second Maitree Express and re-opening of Birol-Radhikapur rail route for freight.
The four memorandums which were exchanged in presence of the two prime ministers are – MoU on bilateral judicial sector cooperation, MoU on extending 3rd line of credit by India to Bangladesh, MoU on cooperation of peaceful use of outer space and MoU on passenger and cruise services on the coastal and protocol route.
Law minister Anisul Haq and Indian minister for external affairs Sushama Swaraj signed the MoU on bilateral judicial sector cooperation. MoU on extending 3rd line of credit by India to Bangladesh signed by the ERD secretary Kazi Shafiul Haque and Indian external affairs secretary S Jaysankar.
The MoU on cooperation of peaceful use of outer space was signed by BTRC chairman Shahjahan Mahmod and A S Kiran Kumar, secretary of the department of space, India.
The MoU on passenger and cruise services on the coastal and protocol route was signed by secretary of the ministry of shipping of both the countries.
The other documents are – MoU on defence cooperation framework between the government of the republic of India and the government of the people’s republic of Bangladesh, MoU between Defence Services Staff College, Wellington (Nilgiris), Tamil Nadu, India and Defence Services Command and Staff College, Mirpur, Dhaka, Bangladesh for Enhancing Cooperation in the field of strategic and operational studies.
One of the MoUs were signed between National Defence College, Dhaka, Bangladesh and National Defence College, New Delhi, India for enhancing cooperation in the field of national security, development and strategic studies defence secretary principal staff officer.
The two countries signed an agreement called ‘The agreement between the government of the republic of India and the government of the people’s republic of Bangladesh on cooperation in peaceful uses of nuclear energy’.
An agreement was signed between India’s Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and Bangladesh’s Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority for the exchange of technical information and co-operation in the regulation of nuclear safety and radiation protection.
Another agreement was signed with officials calling it inter-agency agreement between global centre for nuclear energy partnership, Department of Atomic Energy of India and Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission on cooperation regarding nuclear power plant projects in Bangladesh.
Of the rest of the deals there were MoU between the ministry of electronics and information technology of India and information and communication technology division of Bangladesh on co-operation in the field of information technology and electronics; MoU between the Indian computer emergency response team, ministry of electronics and information technology of India and Bangladesh government computer incident response team; Bangladesh Computer Council of information and communication technology division, ministry of post, telecommunication and IT on cooperation in the area of cyber security.
The two sides inked a MoU between the government of India and the government of Bangladesh on establishing border haats across the border between India and Bangladesh. A MoU was signed between the National Judicial Academy, India and the Supreme Court of Bangladesh on training and capacity building programme for Bangladeshi judicial officers in India.
Directorate general of lighthouses and lightships, ministry of shipping of India and the department of shipping of Bangladesh signed a MoU on cooperation on aids to navigation.
Geological survey of India and geological survey of Bangladesh signed a MoU on mutual scientific cooperation in the field of earth sciences for research and development.
The two sides signed a MoU on development of fairway from Sirajganj to Daikhowa and Ashuganj to Zakiganj on Indo-Bangladesh protocol route.
The rest of the deals were MoU on cooperation in the field of mass media; agreement on audio-visual co-production; MoU on extending defence LOC of USD 500 million; agreement for the regulation of motor vehicle passenger traffic (Khulna-Kolkata route) and SOP of the agreement; MoU for extending a 3rd line of credit; agreement for the construction of 36 community clinics in Bangladesh.
Ministers and high officials of the both government’s were present during the time.
Later at a press briefing at Hotel Taj, foreign secretary Md Shahidul Haque said a total of 22 MoUs/SOP/mutual understanding/arrangements/agreements were signed between Bangladesh and India on Saturday.
He said the complete list of these instruments would be available later.
PM’s press secretary Ihsanul Karim was present at the press briefing.
Meanwhile, India on Saturday announced to provide an assistance of US$ 4.5 billion for implementation of top priority projects in Bangladesh.
Indian prime minister Narendra Modi made the announcement after the official talks with Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina at Hyderabad House here this afternoon.
Modi said being a long-standing and trusted development partner, India always stood for the prosperity of Bangladesh and its people.
India and Bangladesh, he said, are also determined that the fruits of their cooperation must benefit our people.
‘(In this context) I am happy to announce a new concessional line of credit of 4.5 billion dollars for the implementation of projects in priority sectors for Bangladesh …this brings our resource allocation for Bangladesh to more than 8 billion dollars over the past six years,’ he said.
The Indian premier also declared to give assistance of $500 million to support Bangladesh’s defence-related procurement.
‘I am also happy to announce a line of credit of US dollars 500 million to support Bangladesh’s defence related procurement . . . in implementing this line of credit, we will be guided by Bangladesh’s needs and priorities,’ Modi said.

Source: New Age