Bangladesh leader Sheikh Hasina meets PM Narendra Modi, key pacts to be signed

NEW DELHI: Visiting Bangladesh leader Sheikh Hasina met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday for bilateral talks after which the two leaders will jointly inaugurate three projects to strengthen ties.

During their discussion, the two leaders are also likely to discuss the issue of implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam.

The Bangladesh Prime Minister had on Thursday said that she was satisfied with PM Modi’s assurance that her country will not be perturbed over the implementation of NRC in Assam.

Ahead of her meeting PM Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called on visiting Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

“The bilateral relations have never been so close. Naturally, the focus of discussion will be on bilateral relationship. When I say bilateral relationship, we are talking about the next steps the two countries should take now to get the relationship in a different trajectory,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar had said at a briefing on Friday.

The talks would revolve around trade and connectivity, development cooperation and people to people connect, culture and other issues of mutual interest and several key pacts are likely to be signed between the two countries.

The two sides are also expected to ink another agreement for the supply of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from Bangladesh to India`s northeast.

Omera Petroleum and Beximco LPG will export LPG to the state-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), which will bottle and sell to consumers

Another likely deal for a new waterway to connect the Meghna river in Bangladesh with the Gomati in Tripura is likely to be inked.