India-Bangladesh ink 22 cooperation pacts including Defense, Nuclear and Cyber security cooperation

New Delhi : India and Bangladesh have signed around 22 aid development agreements which include some important sectors like Defense, Nuclear and Cyber Security cooperation. Along with this agreement, the Indian Prime Minister has also announced a credit of Rs. 29,000 crores to Bangladesh. The Prime minister of Bangladesh highlighted that India had freed them from the clutches of terrorism and has significantly contributed towards the freedom of Bangladesh and for that they will always remain indebted to India. She also criticized Pakistan, saying that some countries resort to terrorism as compared to development for moving ahead and that Prime Minister Modi should target Pakistan.

On Friday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina arrived in India. On the next day, she had an elaborate meeting with Prime Minister Modi. Then both of them addressed a joint press meeting. There have been 22 signed cooperation pacts including the defense cooperation pact. India is going to give Bangladesh a credit of 500 million dollars for buying military supplies. There will be technology and information transfer too, along with the nuclear security cooperation pact between India and Bangladesh. India is going to help Bangladesh in the construction of the nuclear energy project. Owing to the cooperation in the energy sector, the India-Bangladesh friendship will scale new heights, according to the Indian Prime Minister.

At this meeting PM Modi announced a credit aid of Rs. 29,000 crores (4.5 billion dollars) to Bangladesh. This aid will be used for various development programs in the country. Apart from this, Bangladesh will also be given 500 million dollars for buying military supplies. Taking this into consideration, the total financial aid given to Bangladesh till date would amount to 8 billion dollars.

Both the leaders have decided to take a firm stand on the issue of terrorism. PM Modi has applauded the efforts taken by Bangladesh to keep a check on terrorism. PM Sheikh Hasina ensured that her government will pursue all necessary steps to ensure peace across both the borders. Also that Bangladesh will not let its land be used against its neighboring countries. On the borders of India and Bangladesh, a “Border Haat” (common marketplace) will be setup across various places. The cooperation pact was signed for helping the medical services in Bangladesh too. Signatures were done on the agreements relating to waterway travel by between both the nations too.

PM Narendra Modi and PM Sheikh Hasina also participated in the ceremony to felicitate and salute the martyred soldiers who have lost their lives fighting for the freedom of Bangladesh. At this ceremony, PM Hasina expressed gratitude towards India for saving the Bangladeshi people from the clutches of terrorism. Also, PM Modi criticized Pakistan by stating that some countries are not interested in development but only in terrorism, that they are not interested in co-operating but in betraying and moving forward. PM Modi indirectly attacked Pakistan without directly naming them in this aspect, highlighting that some nations will always promote destructive ideologies, even while India has always harnessed friendship ties with all nations.