India, Bangladesh sign deal on water sharing, six other treaties

As their leaders addressed "shared cultural traditions" and "clear discussions" as a means of resolving differences, India and Bangladesh inked six other treaties, in addition to the agreement to remove water from the Kushiara river in Assam. The agreements were signed in Delhi by Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi and Bangladeshi leader Ms. Sheikh Hasina, who is in India for a 4-day visit. A MoU on Bangladeshi staff training at Indian Railway’s institutions and collaboration on IT systems for freight operations are among the agreements. The countries agreed to cooperate in science and technology, public television, and training programmes for Bangladeshi judicial officials in India.

Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi hailed the new Rupsha rail bridge, which is being built to connect the planned Mongla port in southeastern Bangladesh to Khulna, the country's third-largest city. India is giving a concessional loan for the bridge and port, with a total project cost of US$ 389 million.

After Ms. Hasina authorised it in August, a rapid agreement on CEPA has become a priority policy goal for Dhaka. According to preliminary collaborative research, the agreement is predicted to double Bangladeshi exports to India and increase the country's GDP by 2%. While the talks are still in their early stages, Mr. Modi's mention of the CEPA in the joint press release suggests that New Delhi has accepted Bangladesh's desire to prioritise the CEPA.

Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and IBEF is not responsible for any errors in the same.