Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen is set to visit India at the end of January to fix the agenda for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Dhaka trip in March.
Speaking to Bangla Tribune, Masud said: “I was supposed to go there [India] earlier … Now my trip has been scheduled for the end of January.”
The decisions revealed through the joint statement, issued immediately after the December 17 virtual meeting between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart, would be adjusted with the agenda for Modi’s upcoming trip, he added.
“We will set the agenda keeping in mind the foreign minister-level meeting of the joint consultative commission, the prime ministerial-level virtual summit and the March 26 in-person meeting,” the foreign secretary said.
Also read - OP-ED: A bit of a damp squib
New issues would be discussed, he said, adding that the potentials must not be hampered by the “adversities” in Indo-Bangla diplomatic ties.
Among the issues to be prioritized are connectivity, information technology and ways to expedite line of credit, Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen said.
In addition, water sharing of trans-border rivers, including the Teesta, and unsettled land border-related issues could also be on the agenda, he added.
Bilateral trade
Regarding the hurdles local businessmen faced when exporting goods to India, the foreign secretary acknowledged that Bangladesh had a number of trade issues with its neighbouring country.
He continued: “The obstacles occur owing to duty and non-duty imposed while exporting. We previously told them to issue a notice when they impose such barriers, for our convenience.
“Otherwise, people make negative comments on relations between the two countries. For instance, the masses reacted angrily regarding the import of onions. We have asked them to be careful so as to prevent these things from happening in the future.”
The foreign secretary went on to say that the government was considering exporting surplus electricity to India as Bangladesh’s power generation capacity was increasing gradually, with large-scale power supply coming into operation soon.