New Delhi, Jul 31, 2022, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT/ TT
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to visit New Delhi in early September at the invitation of her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, say officials.
They are expected to jointly inaugurate the 1,320 MW Maitree Super Thermal Power Station, touted to be Bangladesh’s largest power plant worth USD 1.5 billion, it is officially learnt.
The coal-fired station is being set up by Bangladesh India Friendship Power Company Limited, a 50:50 joint venture between India’s NTPC and Bangladesh Power Development Board.
Hasina's upcoming visit assumes significance as Dhaka happens to be one of India’s closest allies.
She made her last visit to India in 2019, following which then President Ram Nath Kovind visited Dhaka in 2021 coinciding with the golden jubilee of the country's 1971 independence and birth centenary celebrations of its founder Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
In the run up to her forthcoming visit, trial runs between Kolkata-Chattogram-Mongla ports for India Bangladesh trade will begin, adding a new chapter in the bilateral ties.
The first vessel from Kolkata is expected to reach Mongla, on Pashur River, on August 5 carrying 16 tons of iron pipes in a container with destination Meghalaya using the Tamabil-Dwaki border points and 8.5 tons of pre-foam in another container for Assam using the Birbirbazaar-Srimantpur border points.
This exercise will create cheaper and alternative routes for India to reach its North-East region while at the same time carrying export-import containers for Bangladesh.
Dhaka has proposed joint initiatives to dredge the common rivers for mutual benefit as Bangladesh is crisscrossed by 54 major rivers mostly originating from India.
Bangladesh witnessed major flooding in its northeastern and northern regions this year, killing nearly 50 people, while the recent floods created havoc in Assam, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh.
Dhaka has already conveyed its willingness to work with India to overcome any natural disasters like floods and river dredging on a regular basis could be a solution.
Bangladesh being India's close neighbour, the Modi government has also allowed export of much-required wheat to that country through Hili Land Port in Dinajpur as a result of which the price of wheat has gone down, easing inflation concerns of Dhaka. India supplies nearly 66 per cent wheat to Bangladesh.
At the same time, Hasina might flag the issue of problems arising from the illegal migration of Rohingyas to Bangladesh from Myanmar, like the growth of radicalization, drug trafficking, as well as, human trafficking of women and children and, more specifically, seek India's cooperation.
Since August 25, 2017, more than 1 million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar have fled to Bangladesh. This Rohingya refugee crisis is among the largest, fastest movements of people in recent history.
The Rohingya immigrants are said to have been penetrated by Pakistan-based terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Toiba to create problems for the ruling Awami League party in Bangladesh.