India-Bangladesh ties guided by spirit of cooperation and mutual trust — President Murmu

New Delhi, Sep. 6 (PTI): Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday called on President Droupadi Murmu, who said bilateral ties between India and Bangladesh have grown immensely and have always been guided by the spirit of cooperation and mutual trust.

Welcoming the Bangladeshi leader at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, President Murmu noted that the two countries are connected by shared history, language and culture and assured that India will continue to be a reliable partner in the development journey of its neighbour.

Murmu noted that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Hasina, bilateral ties between India and Bangladesh have grown immensely, said a statement issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The president said, “bilateral relations have always been guided by the spirit of cooperation and mutual trust and the pandemic and the current international situation demand that India and Bangladesh remain more economically connected to deal with the global crisis”.

She expressed confidence that with this visit, the relations between the two countries will further mature and develop.

The president said the way the two countries together have celebrated the 50th year of Bangladesh’s independence and the golden jubilee of India-Bangladesh bilateral relations is truly special.

The visits of both the President and the Prime Minister of India to participate in these historic celebrations show the great importance India attaches to its relationship with Bangladesh, she said.

”The president was happy to note that Bangladesh has achieved great success in the socio-economic prosperity of its people and she assured that India will continue to be a reliable partner in the developmental journey of Bangladesh,” the statement said.

Prime Minister Hasina also called on Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and both sides reiterated the shared commitment to take the relationship forward for the benefit of the people of both countries.

Recalling the celebrations last year for the golden jubilee of Bangladesh’s independence, 50 years of diplomatic relations and Mujib Borsho, the Vice President appreciated the warmth and trust between the two countries.

Both sides reiterated the shared commitment to take the relationship forward for the benefit of people of both countries, Dhankhar said in a tweet.

Hasina arrived in Delhi on Monday afternoon and held bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Bangladesh is now India’s biggest trade partner in South Asia and the bilateral trade has grown from USD 9 billion to USD 18 billion in the last five years.

It has also become the fourth largest export destination for India with the exports registering a growth of over 66 per cent from USD 9.69 billion in 2020-21 to USD 16.15 billion in 2021-22.