Bangladesh and India have signed ten memorandums of understanding (MoUs), including seven new and three renewed agreements, further solidifying their bilateral relationship. The signing ceremony took place in the presence of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.
The MoUs were signed following delegation-level talks at Hyderabad House in New Delhi, where Prime Minister Hasina is on a two-day state visit. The discussions focused on key areas such as connectivity, energy, water sharing, maritime resources, trade, border management, security, and development partnership.
After the talks, the two leaders witnessed the exchange of MoUs covering vital sectors like the blue economy, maritime cooperation, railways, capacity building, health, academic cooperation, fisheries, and disaster management.
One notable agreement is the MoU on Blue Economy and Maritime Cooperation in the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean Region, signed between the governments of Bangladesh and India. Additionally, the Bangladesh Oceanographic Research Institute (BORI) and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) of India inked an agreement for joint research on the Indian Ocean and capacity building.
The countries also signed a MoU on rail connectivity, a shared vision for digital partnership, and a green partnership for a sustainable future. Another significant MoU was between the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACE) and the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunication and Information Technology of Bangladesh for collaboration on a joint small satellite project.
A military education cooperation agreement between DSSC, Wellington, and DSCSC Mirpur was also signed. The renewed MoUs cover cooperation in fisheries, disaster management, and health and medicine.