Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi met Bangladesh Parliament Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad in Dhaka on Wednesday, with both sides calling for stronger bilateral relations centred on people-to-people ties.
During the meeting at Parliament, Hafiz said India-Bangladesh relations had progressed through “various ups and downs” and evolved with changing circumstances.
“The relationship between the peoples of the two countries should be the foundation of Bangladesh-India relations,” the Speaker said, adding that ties should move forward on the basis of mutual respect and recognition of each other’s independence and sovereignty.
Trivedi said the Indian government was keen to build a “people-centric relationship” with Bangladesh and wanted to strengthen people-to-people contacts to fulfil the aspirations of citizens of both countries.
The two sides also discussed exchanges of parliamentary delegations, the Rohingya crisis and repatriation, as well as cooperation in sports and culture.
Trivedi conveyed an invitation from Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to Hafiz to visit India and stressed the importance of greater exchanges between lawmakers of the two countries.
Speaking to reporters after separate meetings with the Speaker and Deputy Speaker Kayser Kamal, Trivedi said India had extended a “warm welcome” to both to visit the Indian Parliament.
Asked whether conditions were conducive for Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to visit India, Trivedi said: “This is left to the honourable Prime Minister’s prerogative. The honourable Prime Minister of Bangladesh is a very intelligent person. He is pro-people. I think we should leave it to the honourable Prime Minister.”
He added that he had “no doubt” that the intention on both sides was people-oriented, saying, “When there is people-oriented, things will happen.”