Staff Reporter :
Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday said, India gives Bangladesh priority among all its neighbouring countries as per the neighbourhood policy of India.
“The relationship between Bangladesh and India is moving ahead at a faster pace,” Sushma Swaraj said.
The Indian External Affairs Minister said this after inauguration of the Chancery Complex of the Indian High Commission and 15 others uplift projects in Bangladesh funded by the government of India on Monday. The total cost of the projects is Tk 71.64 crore.
Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, Health Minister Mohammed Nasim, Environment and Forests Minister Anwar Hossain Manju, Prime Minister’s Political Affairs Adviser HT Imam, Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Harsh Vardhan Shringla and Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque were also present on the occasion.
Sushma Swaraj also emphasised on investing in youths saying that they are the future leaders of the two nations (Bangladesh and India).
According to the project papers, those projects have been chosen, keeping geographical spread, socio-economic benefits and priorities of Bangladesh in mind.
Eleven water treatment plants are being built in southern Bhandaria Upazila in Pirojpur that will supply pure drinking water to 150,000 citizens.
A total of 36 community clinics will also be built.
Ramna Kali Temple will be reconstructed. The main temple and a five-storey guesthouse main entry gate of the temple will be built and a deep tube-well on the temple premises will be sunk.
The Indian High Commission in Dhaka has already been shifted to the new Chancery Complex inside the diplomatic complex from Gulshan 1. The External Affairs Minister formally inaugurated the complex.
The Chancery Complex was constructed on a plot measuring 14.5 bigha at Baridhara.
The complex consists of the Chancery, the residence of the High Commissioner, a housing block, a sports complex, and a multipurpose hall for recreation.
The staff of the High Commission moved to the housing block in October 2004 and the Chancery started functioning from its new premises in October 2016.
Sushma Swaraj came to Bangladesh on Sunday for the annual stock-taking meeting under the India-Bangladesh Joint Consultative Commission with her counterpart Mahmood Ali and reviewed the entire bilateral relationship between the two friendly neighbouring countries.
She held meetings with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia on Sunday evening.
About Rohingya issue, the Indian External Affairs Minister on Sunday said, her country wants safe return of Rohingyas, who fled to Bangladesh following persecution in Rakhine State of Myanmar.
India is deeply concerned at the spate of violence, but she did not use the word Rohingya to name those tens of thousands of ethnic minorities who faced ‘ethnic cleansing’ in their homeland and took shelter in Bangladesh, instead she termed them as displaced persons from the Rakhine State.”
It is clear that normalcy over the Rohingya issue will be restored only with the return of the displaced people to Rakhine State. “In our view, the only long-term solution to the situation in Rakhine State is rapid socio-economic and infrastructure development that would have a positive impact on all the communities living in the State,” she said.
Sushma Swaraj left Dhaka on Monday afternoon.
Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday said, India gives Bangladesh priority among all its neighbouring countries as per the neighbourhood policy of India.
“The relationship between Bangladesh and India is moving ahead at a faster pace,” Sushma Swaraj said.
The Indian External Affairs Minister said this after inauguration of the Chancery Complex of the Indian High Commission and 15 others uplift projects in Bangladesh funded by the government of India on Monday. The total cost of the projects is Tk 71.64 crore.
Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, Health Minister Mohammed Nasim, Environment and Forests Minister Anwar Hossain Manju, Prime Minister’s Political Affairs Adviser HT Imam, Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Harsh Vardhan Shringla and Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque were also present on the occasion.
Sushma Swaraj also emphasised on investing in youths saying that they are the future leaders of the two nations (Bangladesh and India).
According to the project papers, those projects have been chosen, keeping geographical spread, socio-economic benefits and priorities of Bangladesh in mind.
Eleven water treatment plants are being built in southern Bhandaria Upazila in Pirojpur that will supply pure drinking water to 150,000 citizens.
A total of 36 community clinics will also be built.
Ramna Kali Temple will be reconstructed. The main temple and a five-storey guesthouse main entry gate of the temple will be built and a deep tube-well on the temple premises will be sunk.
The Indian High Commission in Dhaka has already been shifted to the new Chancery Complex inside the diplomatic complex from Gulshan 1. The External Affairs Minister formally inaugurated the complex.
The Chancery Complex was constructed on a plot measuring 14.5 bigha at Baridhara.
The complex consists of the Chancery, the residence of the High Commissioner, a housing block, a sports complex, and a multipurpose hall for recreation.
The staff of the High Commission moved to the housing block in October 2004 and the Chancery started functioning from its new premises in October 2016.
Sushma Swaraj came to Bangladesh on Sunday for the annual stock-taking meeting under the India-Bangladesh Joint Consultative Commission with her counterpart Mahmood Ali and reviewed the entire bilateral relationship between the two friendly neighbouring countries.
She held meetings with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia on Sunday evening.
About Rohingya issue, the Indian External Affairs Minister on Sunday said, her country wants safe return of Rohingyas, who fled to Bangladesh following persecution in Rakhine State of Myanmar.
India is deeply concerned at the spate of violence, but she did not use the word Rohingya to name those tens of thousands of ethnic minorities who faced ‘ethnic cleansing’ in their homeland and took shelter in Bangladesh, instead she termed them as displaced persons from the Rakhine State.”
It is clear that normalcy over the Rohingya issue will be restored only with the return of the displaced people to Rakhine State. “In our view, the only long-term solution to the situation in Rakhine State is rapid socio-economic and infrastructure development that would have a positive impact on all the communities living in the State,” she said.
Sushma Swaraj left Dhaka on Monday afternoon.
