Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s three-day India visit next week is being seen in both countries as an opportunity to further enhance the time-tested cooperation between the two fastest growing economies of South Asia, Trend reports citing The Print.
It is expected that the Bangladesh Prime Minister would also discuss defence cooperation and regional stability with the Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.
During the visit, the prime ministers of the two countries could jointly open a 1,320 MW power plant being set up by the Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company Limited as a joint venture in Bangladesh.
The visit assumes importance in the backdrop of turbulent months in recent times that have disrupted the green shoots of post-Covid-19 economic recovery in the South Asian Region marked by episodes of saturating political and economic crisis, besides episodes of military adventurism and terrorism.
The bilateral ties between India and Bangladesh have grown over time as a standard model of cooperation wherein amicable solutions of impending problems are found through negotiations and constructive dialogues. Since the two countries have originated from an uninterrupted geographical, historical and cultural continuum, they have many shared resources and concerns.
Rivers are one of the most notable shared resources between the two countries. The issue of water management and water sharing is very important in the bilateral cooperation agenda of Delhi and Dhaka as India and Bangladesh share 54 rivers. The two countries have identified seven of these rivers for developing the framework of water-sharing agreements on priority.