Assurance of getting oil, gas from India big accomplishments: PM

Providing a description of what Bangladesh has been able to achieve from India, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said that her recent visit to the neighbouring country didn’t end with nothing.

The prime minister said this during a press briefing held on her recent visit to India, at Ganabhaban on Wednesday afternoon.

Replying to a question, Prime Minister Hasina said what Bangladesh achieved from India depends on one’s perception, reports UNB.

“Bangladesh is going to get fuel from India. The (fuel) oil will be transported from Assam’s Numaligarh to our depot in the north through a pipeline which will also be built by India. Once the supply of fuel starts, the economic activities of north Bangladesh and the wellbeing of the people living there will get a boost,” the prime minister said.

She added that Bangladesh has also discussed the issue of LNG import with India.

“Khulna region faces acute gas crisis from time to time. We’re thinking of importing LNG from India through that region, so that people living in that part of the country can be directly benefited,” added Hasina.

During the briefing, Hasina termed the assurance of getting oil and gas from India as big accomplishments of her recent India visit.

BSS adds; Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on said the people of both countries will be benefited from the cooperation in all the areas identified during her India visit and the decisions taken to solve the existing bilateral problems.

“I think that my visit, after a long break of three years due to the Covid pandemic, has opened a new horizon in Bangladesh-India relations. All aspects of Bangladesh-India relations were discussed during my visit,” said the Prime Minister in her written speech ahead of the question-answer session at her post-India visit press conference here today.

Sheikh Hasina said both the counties highlighted sincerity and pledge to continue cooperation between the two countries on the basis of equality and respect as good neighbours.

She said Teesta water sharing, cessation of border killings, trade expansion, withdrawal of anti-dumping duty on Bangladesh jute products, repatriation of the Rohingyas, import of electricity from Nepal and Bhutan via India, were discussed.

“After all, in the changed world situation, this visit would accelerate both the countries to move forward together in a new way. I firmly believe that this cooperation will continue for the welfare of the people of both countries and the South Asia, including Bangladesh and India, will become a prosperous region soon,” added the Prime Minister.

She said the people of both countries will be benefited from the cooperation in all the areas identified during this visit and the decisions taken to solve the existing problems.

During the visit, the sides signed seven Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) including withdrawal of 153 cusec of water from Kushiar river to Bangladesh under Surma-Kushiara project, Scientific and Technological Cooperation between Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), she said, adding that MoUs were also signed between India and Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), MoU between the National Judicial Academy in Bhopal, India and the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, MoU between the Ministry of Railways (Railway Board), Government of India and the Ministry of Railways, Government of Bangladesh on Training of Bangladesh Railway Personnel in India, MoU between the Ministry of Railways (Railway Board), Government of India and the Ministry of Railways, Government of Bangladesh on Collaboration in IT systems such as FOIS and other IT Applications for Bangladesh Railway, between the Indian state-run television ‘Prasar Bharti’ and Bangladesh Television (BTV) on Cooperation in Broadcasting and MoU on Cooperation in the Areas of Space Technology between BTCL and NSIL.

Sheikh Hasina said as per the MoU, Bangladesh will receive 153 cusecs of water under the Surma-Kushiara project from the common river Kushiara and as a result, 5,000 hectares of land will get irrigation facilities through Rahimpur Link Canal.

Apart from this, the premier said, an agreement has been made on cooperation in the fields of environment, climate change, cyber security, space technology, green economy, cultural and people-to-people communication, she added.

“We agreed to complete the construction work of the second gate proposed by India at the Petrapol- Benapole border as soon as possible to expand trade. A delegation from Bangladesh will soon visit India to participate in the start-up fair,” she added.

In this context, she said some more MoUs are under discussion in the IT sector, which we expect to be finalized soon. If these MoUs are signed, I think Bangladesh will march forward another step towards achieving “Digital Bangladesh”.

Sheikh Hasina said her government has developed Bangladesh in all the areas, including economy, trade and commerce and employment generation.

The Prime Minister said they transformed Bangladesh into a developing nation and a self-reliant country in food production and made the northern part of the country Monga-free in the last 13 years which has been possible because of the timely and well thought-out ideas of her government.