Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has underlined the need for enhanced cooperation with the neighbouring countries for the development of the people of the region.
She said it when outgoing Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Riva Ganguly Das called on her at her official Ganabhaban residence on Sunday morning.
After the meeting, PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters.
“Our foreign policy is ‘friendship to all and malice to none’. We always think that better cooperation with the neighbouring countries is firstly needed for the development of the people of the region,” Sheikh Hasina said, adding that the neighbouring countries can use Bangladesh’s Chattogram, Sylhet and Syedpur Airports for their convenience.
Ihsanul Karim said the prime minister and the high commissioner discussed various bilateral issues, COVID-19 situation and the lingering Rohingya crisis during the meeting.
Riva Ganguly said the two countries are working together to combat the deadly COVID-19. She appreciated the steps Bangladesh has taken under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to contain the pandemic.
The Indian envoy also lauded Bangladesh’s economic development under the leadership of the prime minister amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sheikh Hasina said the people of all classes and professions are working together during this crisis.
The prime minister mentioned that massive programmes had been taken on the occasion of the ‘Mujib Borsho’. “But we could not celebrate many programmes due to coronavirus outbreak,” she said.
She said alongside the government’s regular tree plantation campaign, her party has taken a special programme to plant one crore trees across the country during the Mujib Borsho.
The high commissioner handed over a letter of Indian Premier Narendra Modi to Sheikh Hasina in which he (Modi) greeted the Bangladesh premier on the occasion of her 74th birthday.
The high commissioner too wished the prime minister on the occasion of her birthday.
The prime minister thanked Modi and Riva Ganguly for greeting her, the press secretary said.
BDST: 1612 HRS, SEP 27, 2020
AP/SMS
