Prime Minister and Leader of the House Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said Bangladesh-India friendly relations got a new dimension after assumption of office by the present government.
“A new horizon has been opened up in mutual cooperation and development between the two countries, while contact at political, government and general people levels has been increased manifold,” she said. Sheikh Hasina said this in her question-answer session in reply to a tabled question from treasury bench member Bazlul Haque Harun.
The Prime Minister said the present government after assuming office has given special importance to maintaining good relations with the neighbouring countries.
As part of it, she said, Bangladesh has taken a number of joint initiatives with India, the largest neighbour in South Asia.
“Though these initiatives have been taken mainly for peace and stability as well as economic development, the other countries of the region witnessed its positive impact,” she said.
The Leader of the House said a number of agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) related to security have been penned between the two countries.
“These could be considered as exemplary achievements in establishing peace in the region by uprooting militancy and terrorism,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said after assuming office by the present government, 29 bilateral documents have so far been signed between Bangladesh and India to increase bilateral cooperation.
“These documents have been inked in the fields of security, terrorism, power, culture, land boundary, physical infrastructure development, environment, education, commerce, investment, health and tax,” she said.
The Prime Minister said India allowed duty-free access of all exportable Bangladeshi products to its market except 25 which remain in India’s negative list.
As a result, she said, the scope for exporting Bangladeshi goods to India has risen which would help reduce trade gap between Dhaka and New Delhi.
Sheikh Hasina said a number of agreements and MoUs have been inked between Bangladesh and India to boost economic cooperation.
She said not only Bangladesh and India, other countries of the region are also enjoying the benefits of the mutual interaction of the two big economies.
The Leader of the House said the benefits of economic activities are improving the living standard in one hand, while a positive impact is falling on other important fields including poverty alleviation, women empowerment and reduction of terrorism.
-With The Independent input
