Bangladesh is one of the major engines of growth in the region with rapidly improving socio-economic indicators and there are many areas in which India has learnt from this neighbour and will continue to do so, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said on Monday.
In his remarks at the signing ceremony of the MoU on establishing the Bangabandhu Chair at the Delhi University, Mr Shringla said Bangladesh's founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman understood that Indians and Bangladeshis have a shared future and was a strong proponent of India-Bangladesh friendship and brotherly ties.
"I am happy to note that we have, together, built on that vision. India and Bangladesh continue to attach a very special importance to their bilateral relations. By any indicator, the bonds between our two nations are marked by a rare degree of closeness, substance and understanding," the foreign secretary said.
Two of the major pillars of Indian diplomacy -- Neighborhood First and Act East policies-- find common ground in our work with Bangladesh, Mr Shringla noted.
The fact that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first foreign visit since the Covid pandemic has been to Dhaka, speaks for itself, he said.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman led a great battle for freedom and also created a nation, Mr Shringla said.