Dhaka, New Delhi to consolidate ties

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.