High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh Pranay Verma on Tuesday said the ITEC alumni in Bangladesh showcase the strong bonds of friendship between Bangladesh and India.

"As one of India’s closest development partners, Bangladesh occupies an important place in the ITEC programme," he said while speaking at a reception.

High Commissioner Verma noted that while Bangladesh is a recipient of 500 dedicated slots for ITEC every year under the Suborno Jayanti Scholarships, there are several tailor-made programmes for civil servants and private enterprises which are being organized as per the requirement of the government of Bangladesh.

The High Commission of India in Dhaka organized the reception-get together, in collaboration with the ITEC Alumni Association of Bangladesh (IAAB), to celebrate Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Day.

Agriculture Minister Dr Muhammad Abdur Razzaque joined the occasion as the chief guest.

Around 180 ITEC alumni from all walks of life, alongside distinguished guests, attended the event. Some of the renowned ITEC alumni also shared their training experiences with the audience. A cultural event was also part of the programme.

ITEC, a flagship programme of the government of India, was instituted in 1964 as part of India’s Development Assistance Programme.

It has been offering the benefits of India’s development experience and technological progress to more than 160 countries across the globe.

Every year, more than 10,000 training slots are offered to ITEC partner countries for training courses in premier Indian Institutes in various areas like Agriculture, Accounts, Audit, Good Governance Practices, Management, Small and Medium Enterprises, Rural Development, Public Health, Parliamentary Affairs, Judiciary, Election Management, IT, Data Analytics, Remote Sensing, Renewable Energy etc.

Till date, more than 5,000 young Bangladeshi professionals have undergone such courses in India under the ITEC programmes, according to the Indian High Commission in Dhaka.

Post COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-21, a number of courses are also being organized virtually under special e-ITEC. ITEC training programmes provide opportunities to share best Indian practices with the brightest minds in Bangladesh.

As a result, India has been an equal beneficiary, learning especially from the developmental experiences of Bangladesh which is making phenomenal strides in agriculture, economic and social development sectors.