DHAKA: Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has said that Bangladesh gets priority to her country among all its neighbors.
She made the comment at a function after inaugurating the Chancery Complex of the Indian High Commission at Baridhara diplomatic enclave in Dhaka on Monday (October 23).
During the opening ceremony, the Indian minister also inaugurated 15 other development projects in Bangladesh funded by the India government.
Bangladesh Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, Health Minister Mohammad Nasim, Environment and Forest Minister Anwar Hossain Manju, Prime Minister’s adviser HT Imam, Indian Foreign Secretary Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Bangladesh Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque and Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Harsh Vardhan Shringla were also present at the ceremony, among others.
Sushma Swaraj said that the relationship between Bangladesh and India is moving ahead in a faster pace. Highlighting their importance on Bangladesh, she said that she first visited Bangladesh after assuming power.
She also laid emphasis on investing in youth saying they are the future leaders of the two nations.
About the development projects, she said that the construction work of the projects will end this year. The project will be completed in supersonic speed under the supervision of Indian foreign ministry.
In the function, the Indian minister handed over computers, laptops, Photostat machine and several other materials for Dhaka University, Chittagong University and Rajshahi University.
Sushma Swaraj was scheduled to leave Dhaka at 2:00 pm, wrapping up her Bangladesh visit, the second since assuming office in 2014.
The Indian High Commission was previously operating from a house in Gulshan area of the city. The High Commission has already been shifted to the new Chancery Complex.
The complex was constructed on a 14.5 bigha plot of land or around 5 located at plot 1-3 Park Road in Baridhara. The complex consists of the Chancery, the residence of the High Commissioner, a housing block, a sports complex, and a multipurpose hall for recreation.
The other projects, which were inaugurated by the Indian Minister, cover sectors such as education, healthcare, IT, water supply and social welfare.
Eleven water treatment plants are being built at Bhandaria Upazila in Pirojpur that will provide desalinated potable drinking water to 150,000 citizens. Some 36 community clinics will also be built.
Those projects also include reconstruction of Ramna Kali Temple which was destroyed by the invading Pakistani forces in 1971.
BDST: 1415 HRS, OCT 23, 2017
EHJ/SMS
