Bangladesh and India signed seven MoUs including the sharing of Kushiyara river water on Tuesday in front of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her counterpart Narendra Modi at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi after the bilateral meeting.
The two leaders also jointly inaugurated and announced five projects including the Rampal power plant in bagerhat, Khulna.
The prime minister reached New Delhi on Monday in a four-day ‘state visit’ after a long interval of three years since she last visited India in 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic broke out.
The MoUs signed include: MoU on withdrawal of Water by India and Bangladesh from common border river Kushiyara, MoU between the two railway ministries on training of Bangladesh Railway personnel in India, MoU between railway ministries on collaboration in IT systems such as FOIS and other IT applications for Bangladesh Railway, MoU between the National Judicial Academy, India and the Supreme court of Bangladesh on Training and Capacity Building Programme for Bangladesh Judicial Officers in India, MoU on Scientific and Technological Cooperation between Council for Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), India and Bangladesh Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (BCSIR), Bangladesh, MoU on Cooperation in the Areas of Space Technology, and MoU between the Prasar Bharti and Bangladesh Television (BTV) on Cooperation in Broadcasting.
Besides, they unveiled Maitree power plant. The 1320 (660x2) MW super critical coal-fired thermal power plant at Rampal, Khulna is being set up at an estimated cost of approximately USD 2 billion with USD 1.6 billion as Indian Development Assistance under Concessional Financing Scheme.
They inaugurated Rupsha bridge. The 5.13 km Rupsha rail bridge is a key part of the 64.7 km Khulna-Mongla Port single track broad gauge rail project, connecting for the first time Mongla Port with Khulna by rail, and thereafter to Central and North Bangladesh and also to the India border at Petrapole and Gede in West Bengal.
The project - Supply of road construction equipment and machinery - consists of supply of road maintenance and construction equipment and machinery in 25 packages to Bangladesh Road and Highways Department.
Khulna Darshana railway line link project - The project is upgradation of existing (doubling of Broad Gauge) infrastructure linking the current cross border rail link at Gede-Darshana to Khulna thereby augmenting the rail connections between the two countries, especially to Dhaka, but also in future to Mongla Port. The project cost is estimated at USD 312.48 million.
Parbatipur -Kaunia railway line - The conversion of the existing Metre Gauge line to Dual Gauge line project is estimated at USD 120.41 million. The project will connect to the existing cross border rail at Birol (Bangladesh)-Radhikapur (West Bengal) and will enhance bilateral rail connectivity.
Issues involving mutual interests on security cooperation, investment, enhanced trade relations, power and energy sector cooperation, water sharing of common rivers, Rohingya, water resources management, border management, combating drug smuggling and human trafficking were discussed in the bilateral meeting.
The two leaders also had a tête-à-tête before the bilateral meeting.
Earlier, at her arrival at the Hyderabad House, Narendra Modi received Sheikh Hasina and accorded her a ceremonial reception.
The Bangladesh Prime Minister also inspected the guard of honour there. National anthems of the two countries were played. After the bilateral talks, a joint Press statement was issued.
Video clips on the Maitree power plant, Rupsha Bridge, Supply of road construction equipment and machinery, Khulna-Darshana railway line, and Parbatipur-Kaunia railway line, were screened on the occasion.
The Prime Minister also handed a book on the historic March 7 speech of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman that translated in various languages to her Indian counterpart.
The prime minister will return to Dhaka on September 8.
