Stronger energy, trade ties ensured in India tour: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said her just concluded four-day trip to India has been successful with agreements on energy deals, expansion of trade and connectivity, and a sharp focus on agriculture.

She was speaking in a briefing session with the media Wednesday afternoon at her official residence Ganabhaban.

The PM declared she had not returned empty-handed in answer to a question. Terming the trip "fruitful", she said, "I have received support from our friendly neighbour in business, trade, agriculture, communication…in all sectors. We are getting oil by a pipeline that India has built."

She also noted that her 5-8 September visit to India has opened a new horizon in the bilateral relationship between the two countries.

"Bangladesh's relation with India is historic. Their support during our Liberation War and the post-independence period has given this friendship special significance," the PM said.

Striking a humorous note, an upbeat Hasina replied to a reporter's query by saying, "Fortunately, you have not asked me what we gave to India."

Saying the outcome of the visit was for each to judge, she pointed out that the two countries had signed seven Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs).

"I think that my visit, after a long break of three years due to the Covid pandemic, has opened a new horizon in Bangladesh-India relations. All aspects of Bangladesh-India relations were discussed during my visit," she said in her written speech ahead of the question-answer session.

PM Hasina said the Teesta water sharing, cessation of border killings, trade expansion, withdrawal of anti-dumping duty on Bangladesh jute  products, repatriation of the Rohingyas, and import of electricity from Nepal and Bhutan via India were discussed during her visit.

"After all, in the changed world situation, this visit would accelerate both the countries to move forward together in a new way. I firmly believe that this cooperation will continue for the welfare of the people of both countries and South Asia, including Bangladesh and India, will become a prosperous region soon," the PM said.

Warning about the global economic turbulence, she said, "The current crisis will get worse in the coming days. I am apprehensive that there will be a worldwide famine followed by the global financial crisis created after the Ukraine-Russia war.

"We must take care of our own first so that we do not have to be dependent on other countries."

In response to a question on when Bangladesh will benefit from the Surma-Kushiyara project with India, PM Hasina assured that the Joint Rivers Commission of Bangladesh and India will soon implement their decisions following the recent meeting to ensure irrigation water to five Bangladesh upazilas through Kushiyara water-sharing deal.

She said as a result, 5,000 hectares of land will get irrigation facilities through the Rahimpur Link Canal.

"We agreed to complete the construction work of the second gate proposed by India at the Petrapole-Benapole border as soon as possible to expand trade. A delegation from Bangladesh will soon visit India to participate in a start-up fair," she added.

Referring to rail connectivity which was suspended after the India-Pakistan war in 1965, Hasina said the routes are being reinstated one after another to bring dynamism in the economic activities of the people in those areas.

Apart from this, the premier said agreements were made on cooperation in the fields of environment, climate change, cyber security, space technology, green economy, as well as cultural and people-to-people communication.

Bangladesh and India have also pledged to work jointly to bring down the number of deaths on the India-Bangladesh border down to zero, said the PM.

She said the people of both countries will benefit from the cooperation in all the areas identified during her India visit and the decisions taken to solve the existing bilateral problems.

Easy, quick energy

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina highlighted the energy cooperation between India and Bangladesh and said diesel from Numaligarh Refinery Limited in Siliguri, India, to Parbatipur in Dinajpur district of Bangladesh will be imported through a pipeline.

An MoU was signed between Bangladesh and India on 9 April 2018 under the India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline Construction Project, she added.

"Under this project, a total of 131.57 kilometres [126.57km in Bangladesh and 5km in India] pipeline is being constructed with the finance of the government of India. Out of the 126km of pipeline in the Bangladesh part, 125km has been completed," she said, adding that due to construction of the pipeline, transportation costs would be minimised and diesel could be imported easily and quickly, especially in adverse conditions to meet the needs of northern parts of the country.

She said at present 60,000-80,000 tonnes of diesel is imported from India annually with railway tankers and once the construction of the pipeline is completed, it will be possible to import about 10 lakh tonnes of diesel from India annually.

Currently, the storage capacity in Parbatipur is 15,000 tonnes and under the ongoing project, the storage capacity will increase by 28,800 tonnes, she said, adding that on 28 August 2022, India's state-owned company has been enlisted as a supplier of fuel oil on government-to-government basis with an aim to diversify the import source of fuel, adds the Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS).

About LNG import, the premier said considering the huge gas demand in the southwestern part of the country, particularly in the Khulna region, the government is considering importing Regasified LNG (RLNG) from India to Bangladesh through a cross-border pipeline and to this end, against the proposals of Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) and H-Energy, Patrobangla signed respective non-binding MoUs with both the agencies.

At present, work is ongoing to prepare the Gas Supply Agreement (GSA) on RLNG import to be signed between Petrobangla and the two institutions.

On offshore gas exploration, she said for shallow sea blocks SS-04 and SS-09, Petrobangla has two Production Supply Contracts (PSC) with ONGC Videsh Limited and Oil India Limited, under which two exploratory wells are being drilled in both the blocks.

'People will vote for Awami League'

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said her government wants participation of all political parties in the upcoming general election and believes that people will vote for the Awami League again if they want continuation of the ongoing development.

"We want all the political parties to take part in the next general election. If any party decides not to participate in the polls, it's their decision. We can't stop the functioning of our constitution for that. As part of the constitution, the election will be held to continue the democratic process," she said.

Replying to a query on whether the Awami League would contest the polls with the existing coalition, Hasina said there was still a year before the next general election to decide on that.

"But we have no objection if the political parties, which are now in our alliance, want to stay with us."

Seven MoUs signed

Bangladesh and India signed seven MoUs during the PM's visit, demonstrating cooperation in a number of areas including water sharing.

MoU on withdrawal of 153 cusec water from Kushiyara River by Bangladesh under Upper Surma-Kushiyara Project, Sylhet via Rahmipur; on Scientific Cooperation between Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India and Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR); between National Judicial Academy, Bhopal, India and Supreme Court of Bangladesh; between Ministry of Railways, India and Bangladesh Railway for training of Bangladesh Railway personnel at the training Institutes of Indian Railway; between Ministry of Railways, India and Bangladesh Railway for collaboration for IT solutions for Bangladesh Railway; between Prasar Bharati and Bangladesh Television; and in the areas of space technology.