India is Our Friend, Says Sheikh Hasina

Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina reached India on Tuesday morning, PM Narendra Modi welcomed her at Rashtrapati Bhavan, where she was accorded the ceremonial Guard of Honour. She will be staying in India for the next four days.  

Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina said she feels happy to visit India, “India is our friend. Whenever I come to India, it’s a pleasure for me, especially because we always recall the contribution India has made during our Liberation War. We have a friendly relationship, we are cooperating with each other,” she told reporters.

 Speaking about her upcoming talks with PM Modi, she added: “With friendship, you can solve any problem. So, we always do that.” The two Prime Ministers are set to discuss issues related to trade, connectivity and defence today.  

Modi and Sheikh Hasina are likely to discuss sharing the water from the Kushiyara River and many more important aspects like training and IT cooperation in Railways, science, space and media cooperation.

Within hours after arriving in India, Sheikh Hasina met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and discussed issues of bilateral interest and importance, sources said. “Delighted to call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh this evening. The warmth and frequency of our leadership level contacts is a testimony to our close neighbourly partnership,” Jaishankar tweeted after the meeting.

On Thursday, Sheikh Hasina will be meeting the new president of India Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar.