Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Wednesday said the bonhomie of Bangladesh-India is ever-growing and continues to expand.

“Bangladesh-India relationship is multifaceted and multidimensional,” he said, noting that 2022 was a landmark year in the bilateral relations of Bangladesh and India.

The Foreign Minister made the remarks while delivering a public lecture on “Promoting Culture of Peace for shared prosperity: A vision for South Asia '' at Vivekanand International Foundation in New Delhi.

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Vivekanand International Foundation Director Dr Arvind Gupta, current and former diplomats including Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Md Mustafizur Rahman were present.

Foreign Minister Momen is currently visiting New Delhi to attend the G20 Foreign Ministers’ meeting at the invitation of the government of India.

He is expected to speak at the G20 meeting on Thursday. Among other global issues, he will highlight Bangladesh’s expectations from the G20 platform under India’s Presidency.

Momen will have a number of bilateral meetings including with his Indian counterpart on the sidelines of the meeting.

He said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited India in September 2022 after the visit of the Indian President and the Prime Minister to Bangladesh in the same year in 2021.

“During our Prime Minister’s visit to India, the two leaders concluded MoU for withdrawal of water from Kushiyara, inaugurated Unit-1 of Maitree Super Thermal Power plant in Rampal and Rupsha Railway Bridge. The Prime Minister handed over scholarships to a few family members of Indian soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice in our liberation war in 1971,” Momen mentioned.

The year 2022 was also marked by the visit of the External Affairs Minister and State Minister of the Ministry of External Affairs to Dhaka.

Momen visited New Delhi to attend the 7th JCC and also twice to the Indian State of Assam.

“These visits contributed in promoting people to people contact between Bangladesh and bordering states of India,” he said.

The Joint River Commission (JRC) meeting was held after a gap of 12 long years, Momen said.

Last year, Bangladesh’s relations with other friendly countries of South Asia were also very eventful which was marked by sectoral cooperation and exchange of high level visits, said the Foreign Minister.  

“Bangladesh is advocating for inclusive development in the region through promotion of a culture of peace,” Momen said.

He elaborated the peace-centric foreign policy of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and reiterated Bangladesh’s commitment to standing against any injustice in any part of the world.

Momen also highlighted the instrumental role played by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in establishing peace and harmony in the three hill districts in Bangladesh by signing a peace agreement with the regional parties in 1997.

He mentioned Bangladesh’s leading role in UN peacekeeping and peacebuilding efforts and sought regional and international support for the repatriation of Rohingyas from Bangladesh to Myanmar with safety and dignity.