Bangladesh (Commonwealth Union)_ Pranay Verma, the newly appointed Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, met with the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina. During their conversation, the pair agreed to cooperate in the fight against terrorism in the region. Verma, an Indian Foreign Service officer from the class of 1994, met PM Hasina one month after submitting his credentials to President Abdul Hamid on October 27.
According to a PMO representative, during his meeting with the Bangladeshi leader at her official residence, Ganabhaban, the High Commissioner said: “India has a policy for neighboring countries. But Bangladesh gets the highest priority. Bangladesh always gets priority in any case.” Highlighting that Bangladesh is a very close ally of India, Verma stated that the two nations will collaborate to eradicate terrorism from the area.
In response to the ambassador’s remarks, PM Hasina stated that Bangladesh has sworn not to allow terrorists to utilize its territory. “The ruling Awami League never ever pampers terrorism and it never allows the use of Bangladesh soil for the purpose,” she said. According to the Prime Minister, her administration believes that terrorism knows no religion or boundaries. She also stated that Bangladesh and India are capable of settling all long-standing concerns, including the Teesta River water sharing, via conversation.
According to a representative for the PMO, Verma informed the Bangladeshi leader that bilateral commerce and connectivity have risen dramatically in recent years, while PM Hasina stated that she wants Indian businesspeople to invest in Bangladesh’s economic zones. There are 100 economic zones in Bangladesh. Additionally, PM Hasina and the High Commissioner also reviewed the Comprehensive Commercial Partnership Agreement (CEPA) to promote economic cooperation between the two nations. Verma stated that India is eager to collaborate with Bangladesh in the fields of energy and electricity. According to the PMO spokesperson, Verma also lauded the socioeconomic growth that Bangladesh has made under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Hasina.
