Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam has said that the meeting between Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was was constructive, effective and fruitful.
He said, “All the issues related to the mutual interests of the two countries were discussed in the meeting. The Chief Advisor mentioned all the issues related to our interests. For example, the extradition of Sheikh Hasina was discussed. The incendiary (violent) speeches that Sheikh Hasina is making while sitting there (in India) were discussed. The border killings were discussed.”
Shafiqul Alam said, “The Ganges Water Treaty is expiring, and there is talk of renewing it. There was also talk of the Teesta Water Treaty.”
This was the first-ever in-person meeting between the two South Asian leaders since the formation of Bangladesh’s interim government on August 8, following the fall of the previous government three days earlier.
Foreign Affairs Adviser Md. Touhid Hossain, High Representative to the Chief Adviser Khalilur Rahman, Principal Coordinator on SDGs Affairs Lamiya Morshed, the Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam, and Foreign Secretary Md. Jashim, among others, were present at the meeting, Chief Adviser’s Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder told UNB.
Observers say this is the biggest diplomatic development in India-Bangladesh relations since the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her subsequent flight to Delhi (where she remains).
Earlier, Bangladesh approached India through diplomatic channels to arrange a meeting between Dr. Yunus and Prime Minister Modi on the sidelines of the summit.
In his pre-departure statement from India, Modi said he would meet the leaders of the BIMSTEC countries to discuss ways to strengthen collaboration, keeping the interests of the people in mind.
Bd-pratidin English/Tanvir Raihan
