India
Bangladesh India’s development partner, Kovind tells Hasina
Terming Bangabandhu an ideal of pluralism and democracy, visiting Indian President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday said Bangladesh is a development partner of his country.
“Our partnership is comprehensive and vibrant,” President Kovind said when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina met him at his palace of residence at Hotel Sonargaon here.
PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters after the meeting.
The Indian President said he is happy to be in Bangladesh as it marks three great occasions -- Bangabandhu Birth Centenary, Golden Jubilee of Bangladesh’s Independence and 50 Years of Indo-Bangla Diplomatic Relations.
Read:Dhaka, Delhi eye more achievements through joint efforts with solid stability
Talking about the pandemic, the Indian President said Covid-19 is an “unseen power” that destroyed everything.
He said Bangladesh was the first country to receive Covid-19 vaccine from India and thanked Bangladesh for sending medicines to India to tackle the virus.
The Indian President hoped that Bangladesh will emerge as a more prosperous and developed country under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina.
Appreciating Bangladesh’s support to India in different international forums, Kovind said the Bangabandhu-Bapuji joint digital exhibition was remarkable.
“And Bangabandhu Chair has been established in Delhi University,” he said, adding that India is focusing on connectivity between the two countries.
The Indian President thanked Sheikh Hasina for sending a very good gift of mangoes to Indian leaders.
Dhaka, Delhi eye more achievements through joint efforts with solid stability
Bangladesh and India want to achieve more through mutual cooperation and discussions giving the people of the two countries more benefits in the next 50 years with solid stability in the entire region.
“Good relations between Bangladesh and India are an example for other countries. In the next 50 years, we hope to reach our higher development goals by mutually helping each other,” Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen told reporters after his meeting with visiting Indian President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday.
During his meeting with the Indian President, Momen discussed bilateral issues and both sides reiterated their wish to further consolidate the existing friendly ties between the two countries.
Read:Gifts from President: What Kovind brings for Hasina!
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md. Shahriar Alam and Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen were also present at the meeting with Kovind.
Momen apprised him of the excellent progress in bilateral cooperation and of future joint projects, including in the area of connectivity.
While talking to reporters, the state minister said the continued cooperation between the two countries established peace and stability in the region and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina conveyed to the Indian President that this cooperation will go a long way.
He said the two countries resolved many issues while pending issues will be resolved through discussions.
Shahriar said the prime minister conveyed to the Indian President that Bangladesh does not treat anybody as a minority rather everyone enjoys equal rights in the country.
9 die in India bus accident
At least nine people were killed and as many missing after a passenger bus crashed into the side railing of a bridge and plunged into a rivulet in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday, officials said.
The accident occurred in the state's West Godavari district, close to 900 kms from Andhra capital Amaravati, when the government bus with 47 people on board, including a driver and a conductor, was on its way to Jangareddygudem from Aswaraopet.
Read:Sole survivor of Indian military chief's chopper crash dies
"The bus hit the bridge railing and fell into the rivulet. We have so far recovered nine bodies, including five female passengers," district police chief Rahul Dev Sharma told the local media. "Some 22 passengers have been rescued so far. Efforts are on to fish out the bus."
Andhra Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan expressed "anguish and profound grief" over the tragic bus accident and instructed the officials concerned to provide immediate medical help to all the injured.
"A probe has been ordered to ascertain if the driver was speeding," the police official said.
This is the second major road accident in the state in the past 10 months. In March this year, eight people were killed and six others injured in a head-on collision between a van and a lorry in Nellore district.
Read: India orders tri-services probe into military chief's chopper crash
Road accidents are very common in India, with one taking place every four minutes. These accidents are often blamed on poor condition of roads, rash driving and scant regard for traffic laws.
The Indian government's implementation of stricter traffic laws in recent years have failed to rein in accidents, which claim over 100,000 lives every year.
Gifts from President: What Kovind brings for Hasina!
Visiting Indian President Ram Nath Kovind has brought cakes, sweetmeats and biscuits specially made at Rashtrapati Bhavan for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
President Kovind also shared his delight over mangoes sent by Prime Minister Hasina and said those were “very sweet and tasty.”
State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam said this mentioning that the Prime Minister gladly received the sweetmeats, cakes and biscuits from the Indian President.
Read:Indian President pays homage to Bangabandhu
India’s leading media widely reported on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's gift of sweet Haribhanga mango that had been sent to Indian President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other political leaders in India in July this year.
Some of the Indian media described the gift as “mango diplomacy” while Dhaka says it is just sharing happiness with friends and neighbours in this historic year.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen met the Indian President on Wednesday. This is the Indian President’s first visit to Bangladesh.
At the invitation of President Abdul Hamid, the Indian President will attend the 50th Victory Day celebrations of Bangladesh, closing ceremony of the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and 50 years of Bangladesh-India diplomatic relations on Thursday.
Indian President pays homage to Bangabandhu
Indian President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday paid homage to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Bangabandhu Memorial Museum, the place which bears the testimony to the life and work of Bangabandhu.
Bangabandhu’s daughter Sheikh Rehana accompanied President Kovind to visit the museum at Dhanmondi 32.
He signed the visitors' book kept there after paying respect to Bangabandhu.
Rehana also presented Kovind with a set of books.
Read:Gifts from President: What Kovind brings for Hasina!
Earlier, President Kovind visited the National Martyrs' Memorial in Savar and placed wreathes there, paying tributes to the brave hearts of the Liberation War of Bangladesh.
He arrived here on a three-day State visit as a “unique example” of the existing good relations between the two neighbouring countries.
The post-Merkel chapter in Indo-German ties
For the first time in 16 years, Germany has a government without the Christian Democratic Union. Negotiations among the Social Democratic Party (red), the Free Democratic Party (yellow) and the Greens have resulted in the “traffic light” coalition led by Olaf Scholz, who has been sworn in as Chancellor. Scholz has conceded the finance portfolio to the leader of the FDP, Christian Lindner, while the Greens have secured important ministries. For the first time, the foreign ministry is headed by a woman, Annalena Baerbock, who was the chancellor candidate of the Greens. Robert Habeck of the Greens heads a larger ministry including economy, energy and climate issues.
India must seek continuity and expansion of ties from the new government. While the SPD has been a part of earlier coalitions, the current generation of leaders of the Greens and the FDP have had little interaction with India.
READ: Vladimir Putin invites PM Modi to visit Russia in 2022
The coalition document has emphasised the need to strengthen the strategic partnership between India and Germany. Germany views India as an important partner for resolving global issues, including climate change, food security, energy and international peace and security. The Merkel initiative of establishing inter-government consultations, therefore, should continue. India also figures in the calculus of the coalition document by virtue of the fact that the coalition has decided to abide by the policy guidelines on the Indo-Pacific of 2020. Within the German Indo-Pacific guidelines, India is mentioned for the enhancement of engagement and fulfilment of objectives. India should now be an important node while discussing issues relating to international security. This is because Germany’s has an increased realisation of the importance of the Indo-Pacific.
Germany is keen to implement connectivity projects, through the European Union, to counter China. In this, the EU-India connectivity partnership announced at the EU-India leaders meeting in May 2021 is acknowledged. The coalition sees the conclusion of an India-EU BTIA as an important aspect that will help develop relations.
Chancellor Scholz met Prime Minister Modi on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Rome when he accompanied Merkel. In my meetings with him, he came across as a person interested in India’s education and skill development policies. He speaks fluent English and is an amiable person.
The Greens may pursue a more potent green foreign policy and climate agenda. The foreign ministry will have three parliamentary state secretaries, and all of them Greens. There is much green content in the Indo-German engagement at present, including in the fields of solar power, transportation, smart cities, metros and the Namami Gange. What is required now is a bold, prudent action-oriented approach. However, if the German foreign ministry starts adopting an aggressive green role and determines its foreign policy engagement based on how German values and climate issues are seen by its counterparts, it may singe relations. India likes to determine its own pace in a responsible manner for the implementation of these ideas.
READ: ‘Will continue working with Hasina’, reassures Modi
Baerbock recently called out China for being at variance with German values. The Chinese embassy in Berlin has cautioned against such a stance. Germany, if it pursues a values-led policy, will not be able to stop at China. India and Germany are due to hold the next intergovernmental consultations. This is a summit planned with senior ministers. The pace at which this is scheduled and prepared will indicate if the promise of the coalition document is bearing fruit.
India has expectations from the ministries of economy and energy as well as transportation. The high-speed railway project has been hanging fire for some time now. Germany can contribute to green railway infrastructure in a major way. Another area where Germany would focus attention is education.
India and Germany must realise the cooperative goals of the IP guidelines. These must involve businesses. German companies must be encouraged to use the liberalised PLI scheme to establish manufacturing hubs in India, which can export to ASEAN and Africa. The two nations may also initiate an Africa vaccine production facility. Germany has committed 250 million euro in loans to Africa for this. If implemented with India, as in the Quad initiative, such a facility can be established in the underserved East African region.
India and Germany must think afresh to engage more closely in areas of complementarity.
Champions Trophy Hockey: India plays out 2-2 draw with Korea in opener
Coming from behind, South Korea drew 2-2 with India in the opening match of the Hero Men's Asian Champions Trophy Hockey 2021 that began on Tuesday (Dec 14) at the Maulana Bhashani National Stadium here.
In the day's opener, India took an early lead in the very 4th minute as Lalit Upadhyay received the ball in space and smashed it into the goal (1-0).
Read:Hockey: Asian Champions Trophy begins Tuesday
Besides the goal, India launched a series of attacks, but the first half ended 1-0.
South Korea also made a few attempts, but the Indians were brilliant in defence.
India began the second half as well with a bang, earning a number of penalty corners with Harmanpreet Singh converting one to make it 2-0 in the 33rd minute.
With four minutes left in the third quarter, South Korea finally earned their first penalty corner of the match.
Harmanpreet Singh, defending the goal, moved a second earlier than the injection, and he was moved out of the goal. Taking advantage, Jonghyun Jang of Korea reduced the margin converting the penalty corner (2-1).
Read:Men’s Hockey: Bangladesh lose to Pakistan in preparatory match
The South Koreans then came flying out of the blocks in the fourth and final quarter and leveled the margin with Kim Sung Hyun finishing from an acute angle to the frustration of India (2-2).
India responded on the offensive, attacking in droves and pinning the Koreans back. Harmanpreet Singh did put one in the net from a penalty corner but on review, it was seen that the shot was off-target and was deflected in off the head of a Korean defender.
Finally, India could not make their dominance count and settled for a 2-2 draw.
Taliban Govt reaches out to India seeking visas for Afghan students stuck in Afghanistan
The Taliban government has reached out to the Indian government twice in a row, this time to grant Indian visas to Afghan students so that they could complete their studies in India. The students are stuck in Afghanistan since India cancelled their visas in August shortly after the Taliban took over Kabul, reports NEWS18.
The Taliban had earlier approached New Delhi to start direct flights between the two countries.
Noor Zahid Paiman, a final year Afghan student of BSc Computer Science at Sharda University, said he is stuck in Kabul for over six months now. Noor told News18 over phone, “We met foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi two times and raised the matter with him. He said he reached out to New Delhi regarding it.”
Read: Taliban-ruled Afghanistan stares at major humanitarian crisis: speakers
Noor went back to Kabul in June during the second wave of Covid-19 in India when all educational institutions, including his university, switched to the online mode of teaching. In just two months, Taliban took over his country and things changed forever. With the Covid situation improving, classes switching back to offline mode, Noor along with 2,500 other Afghan students are still unable to fly to India to pursue their studies as there are no direct flights between the two countries and their visas stand revoked.
On August 25, Noor received a communication from the Indian side saying, “In view of the recent developments in Afghanistan and streamlining of the visa process by introduction of the e-Emergency X-Misc visa for Afghan nationals desirous of travelling to India, your above mentioned visa (details concealed) has been cancelled with immediate effect. If you desire to travel to India, you may apply for an e-Emergency X-Misc visa.” Noor said the Afghan students have applied for the new category of visa, but none of the students have been able to get one.
Another student of Pune University, Waris Himmat, is also unable to pursue studies back in India. He said the Indian Embassy in Kabul is not working and he along with 200 students, travelled to Iran to get the visa from the Indian Mission there. But he was told that he will need to apply for the new category of visa meant for Afghan nationals. Himmat told News18 that he requested the Indian Mission in Tehran to grant him the visa so that he can attend the classes in person.
Meanwhile Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), which gives scholarship to Afghan students, said, “ln case, the university/institute has agreed to the physical presence of the students, they may apply for the Indian e-visa. The benefits available under the ICCR scholarship would be available upon joining the institutes as per past practice.”
After the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan in August, New Delhi had issued 200 e-Emergency X-Miscellaneous Visas to Afghan nationals, the external affairs ministry informed the Rajya Sabha. On August 17, as a humanitarian gesture, India introduced “e-Emergency X-Miscellaneous visa” for the distressed residents who wanted to leave the country.
Afghan Ambassador Farid Mamundzay to India also raised the matter in an exclusive interview to News18 last week. He said, “Students stranded in Afghanistan are pursuing higher education in various institutions in India. They are enrolled in various universities in Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and other states. The highest assistance to us from India has been in the field of education. Suspension of their visas was not in good spirit.”
Read:Despite mistrust, Afghan Shiites seek Taliban protection
“I appeal to the Government of India to allow these students to come to India and complete their education. Those students have not become Taliban or joined Talibani forces overnight, so suspension of their visas sends is a wrong signal. The loss of an academic year is the biggest loss for students. India should consider this as a humanitarian issue and take steps to resolve this crisis. I hope in the coming days, the problem is resolved,” he added.
India to produce 5 billion Covid vaccine doses next year
India plans to ramp up its Covid vaccine manufacturing capacity and expects to produce 5 billion doses of vaccines in the coming year, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said on Monday. Addressing an event of the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), Goyal said India was ready to export as many doses as partner nations require, reports Business Standard.
“So far this year, we have already administered 1.33 billion doses. We are manufacturing for exports as well. We will export as many doses as other nations need.” “Next year, we plan to produce 5 billion doses,” Goyal said.
Read:COVID-19: India's 50 pc adults fully vaccinated, Centre targets 100 pc 1st dose coverage by December 31
India-UAE CEPA
India and the UAE will wrap up the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement by next month, Goyal said while addressing the India Global Forum, UAE-2021 through video conference on Monday.
“Hopefully, by the end of this month or next month, we hope to conclude them so that this would probably be one of the fastest trade agreements between two countries ever made.”
India has contributed in establishment of democracy in Bangladesh: Rajnath Singh
Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said that India has contributed to the establishment of democracy in Bangladesh and in the last 50 years, Bangladesh has progressed rapidly on the path of development, which is an inspiration for the rest of the world reported ANI.
Addressing the Swarnim Vijay Parv celebrations today at India Gate to commemorate 50 years of India's historic victory in the 1971 war and Indo-Bangladesh friendship, Rajnath Singh said, "India has contributed to the establishment of democracy in Bangladesh and today we are very happy that in the last 50 years Bangladesh has progressed rapidly on the path of development, which is an inspiration for the rest of the world."
"Today we all have gathered here at India Gate to celebrate the 'Vijay Parv' organized under the 'Swarnim Victory Year' of the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War. This festival commemorates the glorious victory of the Indian armies, which changed both the history and geography of South Asia," he added.
"It was decided to organize this event in a grand form, but after the untimely demise of the country's first CDS, General Bipin Rawat, it has been decided to mark it with simplicity. On this occasion, I pay my tributes by remembering him too," he said.
Also read: India 4th most powerful country in Asia; China loses ground to US: Report
"On this day, I bow to the bravery, valour and sacrifice of every soldier of the Indian Army, due to which India won the 1971 war. This country will always be indebted to the sacrifice of all those bravehearts," he added.
"Sometimes I wonder, what was the fault of our Bengali sisters and brothers? For demanding their rights? Seeking to preserve their art, culture and language? For talking about his proper representation in politics and governance?" he said.
"The injustice and atrocities on our Bengali sisters and brothers were a threat to the entire humanity in one form or the other. In such a situation, it was our Rajdharm, Rashtradharm and military religion that helped in liberating the people of then 'East Pakistan' from that injustice and exploitation," he added.
"This war is a classic example of our morals, our democratic traditions and just treatment. It will be rarely seen in history that after defeating another country in a war, a country like ours did not express its dominance over it, but handed over the power to its political representative," the Defence Minister said.
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'Swarnim Vijay Parv' is being celebrated at India Gate, New Delhi from December 12 till December 13, 2021, to commemorate 50 years of India's historic victory in the 1971 war and the Indo-Bangladesh friendship. The event was inaugurated by Rajnath Singh today. Major weapons and equipment used during the 1971 war have been displayed along with the snippets of major battles.
The closing ceremony will be held on December 13, 2021, which will be attended by Rajnath Singh. Many dignitaries, including from Bangladesh, will be present.