Outgoing Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Kumar Doraiswami has said India wants Bangladesh to be happy, prosperous and successful in its democratic journey. “Your democracy is for you (Bangladeshis) to develop,” he told reporters at National Martyrs’ Memorial in Savar today. The Indian diplomat said he is not here to say that they will support this person or that person, noting that this is not a place to talk about politics.   Read: Doraiswami: PM Hasina’s India visit "extremely successful" with "strong deliverables" “The relationship (Bangladesh-India) is strong….we will always stand with Bangladesh and the people of Bangladesh,” he said on his last day in Bangladesh.  Doraiswami visited the memorial and paid tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Liberation War of 1971. He observed a minute-long silence and signed the visitors’ book there after placing the wreath.   “In everlasting memory of those who laid down their lives so that Bangladesh could live,” reads the message written on the wreath on behalf of the High Commissioner and all personnel.  The diplomat said India's relationship with Bangladesh is now stronger with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's recent visit to India. Read: Under Sheikh Hasina’s leadership, India-Bangladesh ties will reach new heights: Doraiswami He said the people of Bangladesh are very good-hearted people. “As a result, I have performed my duties well in this country so far.” Doraiswami, who has been appointed as High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom, is scheduled to leave Bangladesh tomorrow. Earlier at a farewell reception on Thursday evening, Doraiswami said Bangladesh-India relationship is like a “train” and that train must keep moving to do more great things together. Read "Bangladesh-India are connected through the heart" Doraiswami said people of Bangladesh and India are connected through souls and hearts, and it is stronger than blood ties. “We always have faith in that connection.”

Outgoing Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Kumar Doraiswami has said Bangladesh-India relationship is a “train” that must keep moving to do more great things together. “That energy needs to be carried through,” he said, adding that there are many great things that the two countries have achieved together in the past decade which should be celebrated. Speaking at a reception at the High Commission of India in Dhaka last (September 15, 2022) evening, Doraiswami said people of Bangladesh and India are connected through hearts and souls; and it is stronger than blood relations.  Doraiswami said Bangladesh-India relationship will have challenges but it is a relationship built with the connection between hearts. Also read: Doraiswami: PM Hasina’s India visit "extremely successful" with "strong deliverables" The Indian diplomat said, the most important aspect of Bangladesh-India ties is: “We are your relatives and you are our relatives.” Therefore, he said, expectations from each other can sometimes be unrealistic.  The High Commissioner urged his friends in Bangladesh to always look at the glass as “half full”. “We have, of course, things that we need to do together,” he said. Also read: Masud Bin Momen bids farewell to Doraiswami Doraiswami said there are many kinds of honour that one has in life but serving in a country like Bangladesh – the country that is of such significance and importance to India — has doubled the honour.   Current and former ministers, opposition leaders, business leaders, diplomats, civil society members, artistes and senior journalists joined the reception hosted by the High Commission to say goodbye. High Commissioner Doraiswami is likely to leave Dhaka on September 18, wrapping up his “engaging” tenure in Bangladesh. He has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom and is expected to take up the assignment shortly. Pranay Kumar to Arrive in Dhaka Soon  Pranay Kumar Verma, who most recently served as Ambassador of India to Vietnam, has been appointed the next High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh.  He is expected to arrive in Dhaka on September 21 and formally take up the assignment shortly after submitting his credentials to President Abdul Hamid.  Pranay Verma joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1994 and has held diplomatic assignments in Hong Kong, San Francisco, Beijing, Kathmandu and Washington DC. He has served as the Joint Secretary of the East Asia Division at the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi since June 2017. Earlier, he also served as the Joint Secretary for external relations at the Department of Atomic Energy looking after India’s nuclear diplomacy.

Outgoing Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Kumar Doraiswami has described Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's recent India visit as "extremely successful" with "very strong deliverables" on all areas of important cooperation from trade, connectivity to water sharing. "So our goal essentially was to ensure that the relationship goes forward with more trade, more cooperation," he told reporters during an interaction at Old India House on Wednesday evening. Doraiswami particularly highlighted few of the deliverables, one being the MoU on water sharing of the Kushiyara River, the first water sharing agreement that the two countries had since the Ganges water sharing treaty in 1996. Read: Under Sheikh Hasina’s leadership, India-Bangladesh ties will reach new heights: Doraiswami The second thing is the announcement by the two leaders of a decision to start negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). "Third, I think the sense of focus on transport and connectivity was very strong. A very good package was negotiated and finalized in terms of railway connectivity in particular," Doraiswami said. During the visit, the Indian side requested the Bangladesh side for cooperation for initiating new sub-regional connectivity projects including a highway from Hili in West Bengal to Mahendraganj in Meghalaya through Bangladesh and in this regard, proposed preparation of a detailed project report. Read: Masud Bin Momen bids farewell to Doraiswami Responding to a question, the High Commissioner said the idea is sub regional connectivity and the numbers of road options are very limited. “Alternatives options have to be explored and we are now suggesting and looking at options…” In the same spirit, Bangladesh reiterated its eagerness to partner in the ongoing initiative of the India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway project. The envoy said they intended to invite Bangladesh to be one of the guests at the G20 Summit, which India will host next September. Read Hasina, Modi jointly unveil Rampal Power Plant’s unit 1 "And of course that has now been announced. So as you will understand, it is not just an invitation for the Summit level process. It is an invitation for the totality of the G20 meetings during India's chairmanship," Doraiswami said, terming it a very big deal. Essentially all the guest countries including Bangladesh will have an opportunity to be part of the larger process of negotiating outcomes for the totality of G20. India, as G20 Presidency, will be inviting Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Singapore, Spain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as guest countries to its meetings and Summit. Read Dhaka, Delhi sign 7 MoUs; unveil projects India will assume the Presidency of the G20 for one year from December 1, 2022 to November 30, 2023. Under its Presidency, India is expected to host over 200 G20 meetings across the country, beginning December 2022. PM Sheikh Hasina paid a state visit to India from September 5-8 at the invitation of Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi. Read Getting Kushiyara water is a big success of PM’s India visit: Quader During the visit, Prime Minister Hasina called on President of India Droupadi Murmu and Vice President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar. External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and Minister of Development of North Eastern Region G. Kishan Reddy called on her. Prime Minister Hasina’s programme also included launching of "Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Student Scholarship” for 200 descendants of Indian Armed Forces personnel martyred and critically injured during the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971. Read PM’s India Visit: Bilateral instruments on water management, defence, railway likely to be signed She also addressed a business event, jointly organized by Indian and Bangladesh business communities on September 7. Both Prime Ministers held a restricted meeting and tête-à-tête followed by delegation level talks on September 6. The two leaders expressed satisfaction at the excellent state of bilateral relations, based on deep historical and fraternal ties and shared values of democracy and pluralism, which is reflected in an all-encompassing bilateral partnership, based on sovereignty, equality, trust and understanding that transcends even a strategic partnership. Read Let’s see what she achieves this time, Fakhrul about PM’s India tour They recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit in March 2021 to join the celebrations of the Golden Jubilee of the Independence of Bangladesh, the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and 50 years of establishment of diplomatic relations between Bangladesh and India, which was followed by the state visit of the President of India in December 2021, to attend the celebrations of the Golden Jubilee of the Victory Day of Bangladesh, as the guest of honour.

India hopes that friendly relations with Bangladesh will reach new heights under Sheikh Hasina’s leadership. Outgoing Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Kumar Doraiswami made the remark during his farewell call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the latter’s official residence Ganobhaban today (September 14, 2022). PM's Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Jahid Tusher briefed reporters after the meeting. Read: Masud Bin Momen bids farewell to Doraiswami The Indian High Commissioner said his country highly praises the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for strengthening the Bangladesh-India relations and the overall socio-economic development of Bangladesh. Noting that the bilateral tie has reached a new height, he said the relationship and friendship between the two countries would go much further under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Doraiswami said the next generations of the two countries can enjoy the benefits of the existing relations as it has already reached a new height. Read: Need each other’s cooperation to ensure “peaceful, stable, secure” neighbourhood: Doraiswami Describing Sheikh Hasina’s recent visit to India as “very successful”, he congratulated the Bangladesh PM for her fruitful tour. The Indian envoy also put emphasis on trade and commerce during the meeting. He extended his sincere thanks and gratitude to the Prime Minister, her government and the people of Bangladesh for the support and guidance he received from Sheikh Hasina’s government during his stay in Dhaka. “I thank you (PM) very very much,” he was quoted as saying. Read Doraiswami hails Padma Bridge as a connector of people, emotions and culture of Bengal The Prime Minister said Bangladesh wants sustainable development of the entire South Asia for the sake of the greater benefits of the people of the region. Noting there might be some issues of concern with neighbours, she said, “We can move forward by solving these issues of concern through discussions.”  She praised the leadership of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Read Doraiswami hopeful of commercial screening of Indian films in Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina recalled memories of her exile in India after the assassination of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on August 15, 1975. Sheikh Hasina congratulated the outgoing Indian high commissioner on his new posting and wished him a bright and successful career. At the meeting, the Indian High Commissioner presented a portrait of Sheikh Hasina, while the premier gifted a book, saree and boat replica. Read Bangladesh, India to have much to do in next 50 years: Doraiswami

Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen Sunday hosted a farewell lunch for outgoing Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Kumar Doraiswami. During the farewell speech, the foreign secretary called him a true friend of Bangladesh. "A career-defining honour to have served my country in this most vital and vibrant relationship," said Doraiswami. Read: PM likely to attend Queen’s state funeral The envoy added that the foreign secretary has been a "gracious and helpful" partner, whose gentle humour and friendship he will miss. Pranay Kumar Verma, now the Indian ambassador to Vietnam, has been appointed as the next high commissioner of the country to Bangladesh. Verma is expected to take up the assignment shortly.

Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Kumar Doraiswami on Saturday hoped that the traditional spirit of happiness, friendship, peace and harmony will only grow in a Bangladesh that remains true to the remarkable founding vision and values of its Liberation War. “It is with the hope that in the years ahead, Indian and Bangladeshi people will continue to fully celebrate every festival that makes our subcontinent the world’s most diverse region,” he said. The High Commissioner made the remarks at the Janmashtami festival in Dhakeshwari temple organized by Mahanagar Sarbojoneen Puja Committee. LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Md Tazul Islam spoke at the event as the chief guest. Doraiswami said there can be no progress for either one of them individually and they need each other’s cooperation to ensure a “peaceful, stable, secure” neighbourhood, and an interconnected sub-region. “We in India are committed to this goal, for the equal progress of all of our countries.  This is why we are invested in creating a broad based, people-centric development partnership aimed at all people and communities,” he said. Referring to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s repeated remarks “Dharmo Jar Jar - Utsob Sabar,” the high commissioner said this is the spirit that inspired the Liberation War of 1971 and the magnificent, inclusive and progressive 1972 Constitution of Bangladesh. He said all Indian governments have given highest priority to this friendship. “We will always hope that this is reciprocated by all groups and parties here as well.” Regardless of that, the envoy said, all of his predecessors have worked single-mindedly to seek friendship with the people of Bangladesh, throughout its history, and with all shades of Bangladeshi opinion. The High Commissioner said the bond between India and Bangladesh was indeed forged in unique circumstances of tragedy, sacrifice and great humanitarian distress, and shared struggle in the face of a brutal and genocidal oppressor. Read: Momen comments: AL expects PM to formally look into it “But the bond that has sustained us since 1971 builds upon that foundation and goes much further. Today, we are both independent, equal, sovereign nations with millennia-old bonds of common history, language, culture and heritage, as well as shared values of harmonious co-existence, and respect for diversity and inclusion,” he said. Doraiswami mentioned that “Ours are nations that are inspired by truly pluralist values. We both understand that national progress can only be achieved through fairness, compassion and through equal opportunity for all.” He said the Bangladesh-India partnership is based on mutual respect and shared prosperity of people. Every effort on both sides to deepen the partnership is based solely on the understanding that it will benefit the people of both countries, Doraiswami said. As a nation that shares every possible commonality, plus nearly 4100 kms of border, India is, was and will always be a friend to all of Bangladesh, he said. “The future of our friendship is with the people first and foremost. And yes, it is based on the values and goals that you set for yourself in the first years of your independence,” Doraiswami said.

Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Kumar Doraiswami on Monday paid homage to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He, on behalf of the people and the government of India, visited Bangabandhu Memorial Museum and paid homage to Bangabandhu by placing a wreath at his portrait.

Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Kumar Doraiswami has said the much-cherished Padma Bridge will help contribute to greater connectivity between the two countries and in the sub-region supporting the BBIN initiative. “From that perspective, as a country that has long valued the opportunity to increase connectivity across the sub-region, we in India will be delighted,” he told a small group of journalists on Tuesday evening at the High Commission. He attributed the achievement to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s “continuous and consistently courageous decision.”

Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Kumar Doraiswami has expressed his hope that the authorities in Bangladesh will soon consider his country’s standing request to permit the commercial screening of Indian films in theatres in Bangladesh. “Cinema is an art form that is designed to go across the borders,” he said, quoting great filmmaker Dennis Villenuve. High Commissioner Doraiswami thinks allowing more film releases on a commercial basis will help develop both the film industries - from the artistic standpoint, as well as through increased inflows of investment in the sector, ranging from theatres to financing - given the similar and yet complimentary artistic sensibilities that Bangladesh and India share, and the long history of cooperation between two countries’ artistes, film makers and even music industry. The Indian envoy made the remarks while addressing the opening ceremony of Dhaka International Film Festival 2022 here on Saturday. Also read: Bangladesh, India to have much to do in next 50 years: Doraiswami Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen joined the function as the chief guest. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md. Shahriar Alam, State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid and Festival Director Ahmed Muztaba Jamal also spoke.

Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Kumar Doraiswami has said Bangladesh and India will have much to do in the next 50 years to build on the foundation of the two countries’ friendship and history together. “We’ve made important achievements especially in the last decade,” he said, mentioning that the two countries are the closest partners in the political, diplomatic, commercial, economic, developmental, cultural, security, and even people-to-people fronts. The High Commissioner said they must now ensure that future generations understand this history because it is the youth of today who will make this partnership irreversible. “Doing so would be a truly fitting contribution to the millions of Bangladeshi martyrs who gave their all for this country,” said the High Commissioner while addressing a reception on Monday evening.