United News of Bangladesh

Bangladesh on Wednesday thanked the Indian government for the recent supply of diesel and requested an increased volume of diesel and fertiliser supply to Bangladesh while the Indian side indicated that it would consider the request “readily and favourably.” Dhaka also reiterated its request for the extradition of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal. They have been awarded the death penalty by the International Crimes Tribunal in Bangladesh. Bangladesh thanked the Indian authorities for apprehending the suspected killers of Shaheed Osman Hadi. Both sides agreed that the arrested individuals would be returned to Bangladesh in accordance with the procedures laid out in the extradition treaty between the two countries. Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman raised these issues during his meetings in New Delhi. He met Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar and Oil and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humaiun Kobir and Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Riaz Hamidullah were present at the meetings. The Bangladesh side also held a meeting with India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on Tuesday evening after arriving in New Delhi. Although a future visit by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to India is under discussion, neither Bangladesh nor India mentioned any specific date in their separate readouts issued on Wednesday. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already invited Prime Minister Tarique, his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman, their daughter Barrister Zaima Rahman to pay a visit to India at a convenient time. “A warm welcome awaits you in India,” Modi said in his recent letter handed over to PM Tarique by Speaker of the Indian Lok Sabha Om Birla who represented the government of India at the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected government of Bangladesh.

Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Saturday (January 20, 2024) said Bangladesh-India relations are growing from strength to strength. "Look forward to receiving him (Dr Hasan Mahmud) in Delhi soon," he said as he met his Bangladesh counterpart Dr Hasan Mahmud on the sidelines of the 19th NAM Summit. Jaishankar said he is glad to meet with his new Bangladesh counterpart, Hasan Mahmud in Kampala, Uganda. "Congratulated him on his appointment and wished him all success," said the Indian External Affairs Minister. Both the ministers discussed various issues of mutual interests and ways to carry forward the existing excellent bilateral relations between the two countries, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They also discussed the upcoming visit of Bangladesh Foreign Minister to New Delhi. Hasan Mahmud led the Bangladesh delegation to the 19th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) held on January 19-20. He will also lead the third South Summit of the G77 and China scheduled to be held on January 21-22. Read more: Every country should take its responsibilities towards refugees very seriously: David Cameron Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, Bangladesh Permanent Representative to the UN Muhammad A Muhith and Bangladesh High Commissioner to Kenya and Uganda, among others, are accompanying the Foreign Minister. Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud is scheduled to leave for New Delhi, India on February 7 – the first bilateral visit by the minister after his appointment – to further strengthen Bangladesh-India relations. “It’s likely to be a three-day visit,” he told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on January 18, noting that the agenda of the visit is yet to be finalised. The Foreign Minister said he will be visiting the country at the invitation of Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar. Asked whether he will have a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the visit, Mahmud said, “It is too early to say.” Jaishankar, earlier, invited his Bangladesh counterpart Dr Hasan Mahmud to visit New Delhi at a mutually convenient time. Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma extended the invitation on behalf of the Indian External Affairs Minister on Monday. The Foreign Minister accepted the invitation and told him that he would visit Delhi soon. Read more: FM Hasan meets his Palestinian counterpart

Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar has sent a message to Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen wishing his speedy recovery.

Bangladesh and India have “agreed in principle" to go for the clinical trials of Covid-19 vaccines in Bangladesh soon after India launches these trials there.

The 6th Bangladesh-India Joint Consultative Commission (JCC) meeting began on Tuesday afternoon with a special focus on water sharing, projects under India-financed LoC, connectivity, trade and energy cooperation, officials said.

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Sunday expressed deep shock and sorrow at the death of Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar's mother Sulochana Subrahmanyam.