New Delhi [India], February 8 : Bangladesh's Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud lauded the robust and diversified relationship between Bangladesh and India, attributing the success to the strong leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Minister Mahmud emphasised the substantial growth in bilateral ties, citing the collaborative efforts under the visionary leadership of PM Hasina and PM Modi.
"Under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Prime Minister Modi, the relationship between Bangladesh and India has strengthened, diversified, bringing economic and social benefits for the people of our region," he said, addressing a presser on Bangladesh-India ties.
Highlighting the progression of the relationship, Mahmud noted, "Our relationship has gone to new heights. The concepts of 10-15 years ago are the realities today, and political issues of the debate are the reality today."
The Bangladeshi Foreign Minister expressed gratitude for India's support in the democratic process, stating, "Immediately after the elections, we were congratulated by PM of India Narendra Modi. We must remain thankful to the people of India, Indian civil society, and the government of India for standing beside us to continue the democratic process in Bangladesh and foiling the ploy to disrupt democracy. India was beside us for the continuation of democracy."
The visiting foreign minister Mahmud also hailed the India-Bangladesh ties earlier in an interaction with ANI.
On Bangladesh PM's future India visit, Mahmud said, "You are having elections... In the future, definitely, PM Shiekh Hasina will visit India... India is our immediate neighbour. We have a wide range of issues. India is not only our neighbour, but it also played a very vital role in our independence war. Indian people and the army shed their blood. Our relationship is bonded by blood. The invitation came from India first. That's why I chose India for my first foreign visit..."
Regarding his meetings with his Indian counterpart, S Jaishankar, the Bangladesh Foreign Minister mentioned that they discussed all issues, including cross-border issues, Rohingya, as well as connectivity.
"We had a very good discussion. We discussed all the issues including cross-border issues, Rohingya issues, security issues, powersharing and connectivity issues. We discussed all of these issues..." he told ANI.
Mahmud, who is on a visit to India from February 7-9, arrived in the national capital in the early hours of Wednesday.
The Bangladesh Foreign Minister also thanked EAM Jaishankar and the Indian government for inviting him.
Notably, this is Mahmud's first foreign visit after being sworn into the new Bangladesh government following Sheikh Hasina's historic victory, securing a consecutive fourth term as Prime Minister.
Hasan Mahmud, who hails from Chittagong in the southeast of Bangladesh, served as Deputy Foreign Minister during Sheikh Hasina's second term during 2009-2014.
Hasina's party, the Awami League, secured 223 seats to form the government in the elections held on January 7.
The Awami League government named its 36-member cabinet after President Mohammad Shahabuddin invited them to form the government.
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