Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said on Sunday that Bangladesh would raise all the major issues, including water and border management, during the first-ever virtual summit between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.
The summit will be held on December 17.
“We’ll raise all of our major issues, which we usually raise,” he told reporters at his office replying to a question. “We believe that the two countries can resolve all the issues through discussions. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has shown the leadership maturity in resolving problems.”
During the summit, he said Chilahati-Haldibari rail link, a pre-1965 connectivity line, will be inaugurated along with some other projects.
The summit comes at a time when the both countries are facing the Covid-19 pandemic. The month of victory will also come in a big way in the discussion since India helped Bangladesh to gain independence.
The foreign minister acknowledged the contribution of India in Bangladesh’s independence and said the relations between Bangladesh and India are “historic and of blood”.
“And India is a time-tested friend of Bangladesh. So, India has reasons to be proud of our victory,” he said.
Dr Momen said Bangladesh and India are witnessing a golden chapter in the relations and the two neighbours set an example by resolving issues like LBA and maritime boundaries through dialogue and discussions.
Both sides, earlier, announced the date of the summit from the 6th meeting of the Joint Consultative Commission (JCC) which was held in September.
Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister Dr. Momen co-chaired the meeting.
India has decided to release a commemorative stamp on 16 December on the birth centenary of Bangabandhu.
Bangladesh also released a commemorative stamp on Mahatma Gandhi on the occasion of the 150th year of his birth anniversary.
The foreign minister said a ‘Swadhinata Sarak’ will be opened marking the 50 years of Bangladesh’s independence on March 26 next year.
He said the road remains functional on the Indian side while it will be connected through Mujibnagar, Meherpur district. “It’ll help boost people-to-people contact between the two countries.”
The prime minister has invited Narendra Modi to visit Bangladesh on March 26 in person to jointly celebrate the Independence Day of Bangladesh.
The Indian side accepted the invitation in principle.
