India and Bangladesh are set to review and consolidate their relations by holding the high-level second meeting of the Joint Consultative Commission in Dhaka on Friday.
External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid and his Bangladeshi counterpart Dipu Moni will lead the respective sides in the high-level exchanges that are expected to contribute to the deepening and strengthening of bilateral relations, said diplomatic sources.
Landmark pact
Mr. Khurshid will visit Bangladesh for two days from February 16, at the invitation of Dipu Moni to attend the meeting of the commission — established under the landmark Framework Agreement on Cooperation for Development signed by the two Prime Ministers in September 2011.
The maiden Bangladesh visit of Mr. Khurshid as External Affairs Minister, diplomatic circles said, is likely to lay a concrete positive ground for Sheikh Hasina’s visit to New Delhi later this year.
Authoritative sources told The Hindu that the Commission’s meeting would review progress in various sectors, identify thrust areas and give directions for further growth of the bilateral partnership. Mr. Khurshid is scheduled to call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and other Ministers.
In a welcoming development, the two countries had last month signed two landmark agreements — an extradition treaty to facilitate transfer of criminals and terrorists and an agreement to liberalise the visa regime. Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and his Bangladeshi counterpart Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir signed the treaties.
Independent analysts said the two accords would give impetus to widening the scope for taking up other long-standing problems like formalising the border demarcation agreements, sharing of Teesta waters and putting an end to the border killings by the BSF.
Keywords: India-Bangladesh bilateral relations, India-Bangladesh ties, Salman Khurshid, External Affairs Ministry
The outcome of the visit of our Foreign Minister to Dhaka will be
eagerly awaited. The report also mentions as usual our Look East
Policy. A few days back, a news item appeared in a London newspaper
of Myanmar developing the small island port of Ramree on the western
coast and developing the nearby sleepy town of Kyaukpyu into a mini
Singapore. The report mentioned China having poured billions of
dollars into the strengthening the transport infrastructure with
improved highways and railways enabling a link to Kunming SW China and
also affording entry into Indian Ocean for reaching the south east
Asian nations and held out the prospects of China bagging this
project too. Reading alongside also of the Chinese moves on Gwadar and
its association with Hambantota port development in Sri Lanka –where
we missed the bus- here is a wonderful opportunity for our government
to put some flesh and blood into the often talked about Look East
Policy.
Please Email the Editor