Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi yesterday described Prime Minister Tarique Rahman as “intelligent” and “pro-people”, expressing optimism about stronger ties between the two countries.
“This is left to the prime minister’s prerogative. The prime minister of Bangladesh is a very intelligent person. He is pro-people. I think we should leave it to the prime minister,” he told reporters when asked about Tarique’s possible visit to India.
He was speaking at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban after separate courtesy calls on Speaker Maj (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, Bir Bikram, and Deputy Speaker Kayser Kamal.
Trivedi said he had no doubt about the intentions behind efforts to strengthen ties between the two countries.
“The intention on both sides is people-oriented. When there is a people-oriented approach, things will happen.”
Asked about renewed discussions on the possible visit, he said discussions never end in a democracy.
“If discussion ends, that is not democracy. It is like a running river… It keeps on running; there is no stagnation…. Now, I am sanguine. I am confident.”
The high commissioner said engagement between the two parliaments was vital to strengthening people-to-people ties between the two sovereign and democratic countries.
Trivedi reiterated Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla’s invitation to the Speaker and Deputy Speaker to visit India at their earliest convenience.
Speaker Hafiz Uddin, meanwhile, said Bangladesh-India relations had progressed through various ups and downs, while the historical relationship between the two countries had evolved in different contexts.
“The relationship between the peoples of the two countries should be the foundation of Bangladesh-India relations.”
Trivedi’s discussions with the Speaker and Deputy Speaker covered the formation of Parliamentary Friendship Groups, mutual visits by parliamentary delegations under the guidance of both Speakers, cooperation between parliamentary committees, and the digitisation of parliamentary records.
Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/diplomacy/news/bangladesh-pm-intelligent-and-pro-people-4263621
