Page 13 - India-bangladesh Ties

Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra's visit to Bangladesh likely to be postponed

A planned visit to Bangladesh by Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra on April 20 is likely to be postponed, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday. Kwatra was to travel to Bangladesh mainly to prepare the grounds for a likely visit to India by Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in June, they said. The reasons for the postponement of the visit were not immediately clear. In Dhaka, Kwatra was scheduled to hold wide-ranging talks with his Bangladeshi counterpart Masud Bin Momen on the entire gamut of bilateral relations and ways to further expand the ties. Kwatra's visit was aimed at preparing grounds for PM Hasina's planned trip to India in June, the people cited above said. Bangladesh Foreign Minister Mahmud visited India in February. It was his first bilateral foreign trip after Hasina came to power for a fifth term after a landslide victory in the parliamentary elections in January. During his trip, Mahmud held comprehensive talks with External Affairs Minister S ...

Govt assisting five nations develop early warning systems, says IMD chief

India is helping Nepal, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Mauritius develop early warning systems to reduce the loss of life and property due to extreme weather events, IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra has said. In a conversation with PTI editors, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) director general said India will play the role of a big brother and a peer advisor to Nepal, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Mauritius in the efforts to guard against the impact of extreme weather events. India's efforts are part of the 'Early Warnings for All' initiative announced by the United Nations in 2022 to ensure that everyone is protected from hazardous weather, water or climate events through life-saving early warning systems by the end of 2027. Mohapatra said India is helping five of the 30 countries identified across the world for the first phase of the initiative of establishing early warning systems. "Fifty per cent of the countries do not have an early warning system. The poor .

Maha ATS nabs five Bangladeshi nationals for illegal stay in country

The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested five Bangladeshi nationals from Navi Mumbai for staying in the country without valid documents, officials said on Saturday. The operation was conducted at two locations in Ghansoli by the Vikhroli unit (Mumbai) of the ATS on Friday, they said. "Acting on a tip-off, the ATS led the operation and arrested five Bangladeshis, who were found living in India without valid documents. They were nabbed from Janai Compound and near Shivaji Talao, both in Ghansoli," a police official said. The accused, Aahat Jamal Sheikh (22), Rebul Samad Sheikh (40), Ronney Soriful Khan (25), Julu Billal Sharif (28) and Mohammad Munir Mohammad Siraj Mulla (49), hail from two districts in Bangladesh and were employed as masons in Navi Mumbai, he said. They were arrested under provisions of the Foreigners Act, 1946, and the Passport (Entry into India) Rules, 1950, following a complaint lodged by a police sub-inspector attached to the ATS. The Rabale polic

Govt permits 64,400 tonnes of onion exports to UAE, Bangladesh via NCEL

The government has permitted exports of 64,400 tonnes of onion to the UAE and Bangladesh through the National Cooperative Exports Ltd (NCEL), according to notifications of the commerce ministry. While export of 50,000 tonnes of onion is permitted to Bangladesh, shipments of 14,400 tonnes were allowed to the UAE. "Export of 14,400 tonnes of onions, with a quantity ceiling of 3,600 MT (metric tonnes) quarterly, to UAE through NCEL is notified," the directorate general of foreign trade (DGFT) said in a notification. DGFT is an arm of the commerce ministry, which deals with norms related to imports and exports. For exports to Bangladesh, it said that the modalities for the exports will be worked out by the NCEL in consultation with the department of consumer affairs. Though onion exports are banned, the government allows specified quantities to friendly nations. The exports are allowed on the basis of permission granted by the government to other countries based on their request. On

Highlights of the day: Bengal transferring money to 2.1 mn MGNREGA workers

Catch all the latest updates from across the globe here

On 75th Republic Day, PM Modi wears multi-coloured 'bandhani' turban

Continuing his tradition of wearing flamboyant and colourful turbans, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chose a multi-coloured 'bandhani' print safa for his Republic Day look on Friday. Bandhani is a type of tie-dye textile popular in Gujarat and Rajasthan. The fabric is decorated by plucking the cloth with fingernails into many tiny bindings that form a figurative design. He wore a white kurta-pyjama with a brown V-neck jacket. The turban with a long trail had shades of yellow, saffron, pink and red. Rajasthani turbans have been a popular choice of the prime minister for his Independence Day and Republic Day looks. Last year too, Modi wore a multi-coloured Rajasthani turban and complemented it with pants and kurta. Later that year, on the 77th Independence Day, he opted for a vibrant Rajasthani-style turban, with multiple colours and a lengthy tail. In 2019, Modi sported a multi-coloured turban as he gave his sixth Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort after return

India-Bangladesh relations growing from strength to strength: Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday met newly-appointed Bangladesh Foreign Minister Mohammed Hasan Mahmud here and hailed the bilateral relations, which are growing from strength to strength." Jaishankar met his Bangladeshi counterpart here in the Ugandan capital on the sidelines of the two-day Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit, which began on Friday. Jaishankar also congratulated Dr Mamud on his appointment as the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh as the two leaders are meeting for the first time after the new government took over in India's neighbourhood earlier this month. So glad to meet with my new Bangladesh counterpart FM Dr Mohammed Hasan Mahmud in Kampala today. Congratulated him on his appointment and wished him all success. ... India-Bangladesh relations are growing from strength to strength. Look forward to receiving him in Delhi soon, Jaishankar posted on X after the meeting along with a photo. On January 7, Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina's government ..

Ahead of polls, Bangladesh Nationalist Party holds massive protest in Dhaka

Ahead of the general elections set to be held on January 7 in Bangladesh, the country's opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) staged a massive protest in Dhaka's Paltan area

Anti-India activity won't be tolerated: B'desh minister ahead of elections

Ahead of Sunday's general elections in Bangladesh, the country's Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan asserted that Dhaka will never permit its territory to be used for any anti-India activity or terrorism, as long as the Awami League is in power. The senior minister in the Sheikh Hasina government also expressed confidence that Chinese investments in his country should not be a cause for concern, emphasising that nothing can be compared to the enduring Indo-Bangladesh relations, that are set to strengthen further in the coming days. In a telephonic interview with PTI from Dhaka, Khan stated that the Awami League government is for free and fair general elections on January 7, and claimed that the main opposition BNP has boycotted the polls "out of fear" of not securing a majority. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has boycotted the elections after the Awami League refused to cede power to a caretaker government to conduct the polls. "The BNP and Jamaat, during their tenure, had give

India, Bangladesh agree to extend crucial Indo-Bangladesh Protocol route

India and Bangladesh have agreed to extend Indo-Bangladesh Protocol (IBP) route and declare Safardighi in West Bengal as the new port of call under Protocol on Inland Water Transit & Trade (PIWT&T), an official statement said on Friday. According to the statement, three high-level talks between India and Bangladesh, including shipping secretary-level talks, 22nd meeting of standing committee under PIWT&T and the 3rd meeting of inter-governmental committee on use of Chattogram and Mongla Ports for to-and-fro movement of goods, successfully concluded in Dhaka. "Bangladesh agreed to extend IBP route and declare Safardighi as new port of call under PIWT&T. Both sides agreed to form a technical team immediately to study inclusion of Chandpur-Chittagong stretch as IBP route under PIWT&T," the statements said. Issues like easing visa issuance, shore-leave facility and repatriation for seafarers were deliberated upon, it added. According to the statement, Bangladesh agreed

SAMPRITI: Indian, Bangladesh armies commence joint military exercise

India and Bangladesh on Tuesday commenced the 11th edition of the annual joint military exercise, 'SAMPRITI-XI' in Umroi, Meghalaya, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement

India, Bangladesh discuss bilateral cooperation, sign 3 MoUs ahead of G20

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina sign agreements on cooperation in digital payments, renewal of the Cultural Exchange Programme, and agricultural research

Increased engagement with Bangladesh forces positive sign: Defence Ministry

Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane, who is on a two-day visit to Bangladesh, co-chaired the meeting with his Bangladeshi counterpart Lt Gen Waker-Uz-Zaman

Over 8K kids of Myanmar, Bangladesh, Manipur IDPs in Mizoram schools: Govt

More than 8,000 children of refugees from Myanmar and Bangladesh and internally displaced people (IDPs) from strife-torn Manipur are receiving education in schools in Mizoram, its School Education Minister Lalchhandama Ralte said. Of the 8,119 children, 6,366 students are from Myanmar, 250 are from Bangladesh and 1,503 are from Manipur, he said. Ralte said the students are receiving free school uniforms, textbooks as well as mid-day meals like local pupils. He asserted that the Mizoram government is committed to providing education to these children, who are from the Zo tribes. "The Mizoram government views Zo tribes from all around the world as one. This principle is reflected in our education sector as well. Our government not only provides shelter but also education to those in need," Ralte told reporters on Tuesday. He said that 44 refugee children had registered for class 10 board examinations in 2022 and 31 of them had appeared in it. Of the 31 students, 28 have successfull

In improving trade and connectivity, India and Bangladesh mean business

The neighbours need each other and their cooperation will benefit the wider region

Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw hands over 20 BG trains to Bangladesh

Previously, the Indian government handed 10 BG diesel locomotives to Bangladesh on a grant basis in July 2020

'India, Bangladesh play significant role in ensuring security of region'

: India and Bangladesh have a pivotal role to play in ensuring the security of the region, Chief of Bangladesh Air Force Air Marshal Shaikh Abdul Hannan said here on Saturday. Speaking as the chief guest at the Combined Graduation Parade of Flight Cadets of various branches of the Indian Air Force, Hannan said both the countries have an umbilical connection and that relation has been more profound since the Bangladesh liberation war in 1971. Both the countries have a significant role to play in ensuring the security of the region and our defence forces conduct regular joint exercises to ensure that we have synergy in our efforts, he said. Noting that Bangladesh Air Force was born in Dimapur in India on September 28, 1971, the air force chief of the neghbouring country said with that heritage today both the countries have an understanding of mutual trust and respect. India and Bangladesh have an umbilical connection. This connection has been more profound since the Bangladesh ...

India, Bangladesh pledge to work to curb terrorism as envoy meets PM Hasina

Newly-appointed Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma called on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina here on Wednesday during which they pledged to work together to curb terrorism in the region. Verma, a 1994-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, met Hasina a month after presenting his credentials to President Abdul Hamid on October 27. India has a policy for neighbouring countries. But Bangladesh gets the highest priority. Bangladesh always gets priority in any case, Verma was quoted as saying by a PMO spokesperson during his meeting with Prime Minister Hasina at her official Ganabhaban residence. Noting that Bangladesh is "a very good friend" of India, Verma said the two countries will work together to stamp out terrorism in the region. Echoing the envoy's comments, Hasina said Bangladesh has vowed not to allow terrorists to use its soil. "(The ruling) Awami League never ever pampers terrorism and it never allows the use of Bangladesh soil for the purpose," she said. She

India proud to be friend and partner in liberation war of Bangladesh: Murmu

President Droupadi Murmu on Friday said India is proud to be a friend and partner in the liberation war of Bangladesh and continues to share the development journey with it. She said that liberation of Bangladesh and its rise and prosperity is an inspiring story for the world community. Youth of Bangladesh have a past which is full of glory, and a future that is full of promises, Murmu said, while addressing a youth delegation from Bangladesh, who had called on her at Rashtrapati Bhavan here. President Murmu said India is proud to be a friend and partner in the Liberation War of Bangladesh and continues to share the development journey with Bangladesh, according to a Rashtrapati Bhavan statement. It is important for us to preserve this spirit, which continues to inspire the deep friendship between our two countries and our people, it said. The president said that Bangladesh occupies a very special place in the hearts and minds of every Indian. Our countries share deep civilisatio

Best of BS Opinion: BJP's allure, the railway land policy and more

Here is the best of Business Standard's opinion pieces for Friday