PM Modi's visit to Bangladesh

[Hindustani78]

President's Secretariat
10-April, 2017 19:40 IST
Prime Minister of Bangladesh calls on President

HE Sheikh Hasina, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh called on President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan yesterday (April 9, 2017).

Welcoming the Bangladeshi Prime Minister to India, the President fondly remembered his visit to Bangladesh in March 2013. He also appreciated the Prime Minister’s visit in August 2015 to attend the last rites of his late wife.

The President said Government of Bangladesh’s gesture of honouring the Indian soldiers martyred during the 1971 Liberation War is highly appreciated in India. India considers it a demonstration of solidarity and a symbol of the unique history of bilateral ties. There is much that unites the two countries - a shared history and common heritage, linguistic and cultural ties, passion for music, literature and the arts.

The President said India deeply appreciates Bangladeshi Prime Minister’s role in giving a new direction to the India-Bangladesh relationship and making it what it is today – a strong, vibrant and exemplary partnership between two neighbours. He said that under the leadership of the Bangladesh Prime Minister, the country has made tremendous progress.

The President said Bangladesh’s commitment to strengthening democracy, rule of law, pluralism and human dignity and to ensuring peace, security and stability in the country is commendable. He congratulated Bangladesh on successfully hosting the 136th Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly in Dhaka last week and also the 9th Global Forum on Migration and Development in December 2016.

The President said India-Bangladesh relations are growing from strength to strength. Cooperation is the field of connectivity, power, energy, trade, capacity building and infrastructure development is especially praiseworthy. India is fully committed to be a partner in Bangladesh’s economic development. Geographical proximity and connectivity are advantages that must be leveraged to mutual benefit. He hoped that the announcement of over USD 5 billion of Indian concessionary financing for infrastructure projects in Bangladesh over the next couple of years will usher in more development for Bangladesh.

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[Hindustani78]

Cabinet
12-April, 2017 18:18 IST
Cabinet approves signing of Framework of Understanding between India and Bangladesh on Cooperation in the hydrocarbon sector

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved signing of Framework of Understanding (FoU) on Cooperation in the Hydrocarbon Sector with Bangladesh.

The objective of the proposed FoU is to establish a cooperative institutional framework mechanism to facilitate and enhance India-Bangladesh bilateral cooperation in the hydrocarbon sector on the basis of equality and mutual benefit.

The FoU promotes bilateral cooperation at the sub-regional and regional levels. It will provide impetus to development and enable the two countries to realize their developmental aspirations, shared destiny and common vision of a peaceful and prosperous South Asia.

The proposed FoU is non-binding in nature and will be valid for five years.

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[Hindustani78]

The Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Shri K.D. Tripathi briefing the media on the Cabinet Decisions on FoU between India and Bangladesh; Purchase Preference with Local Content Policy and IIPE in Vishakhapatnam, in New Delhi on April 13, 2017. The Principal Director General (M&C), Press Information Bureau, Shri A.P. Frank Noronha and other dignitaries are also seen.

The Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Shri K.D. Tripathi briefing the media on the Cabinet Decisions on FoU between India and Bangladesh; Purchase Preference with Local Content Policy and IIPE in Vishakhapatnam, in New Delhi on April 13, 2017. The Principal Director General (M&C), Press Information Bureau, Shri A.P. Frank Noronha and other dignitaries are also seen.

 

[Hindustani78]

Cabinet
03-May, 2017 20:16 IST
Cabinet approves MoU on Third Line of Credit of US $ 4.5 billion to Bangladesh for implementation of developmental projects

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given ex-post facto approval to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Third Line of Credit (LoC) of US $ 4.5 billion to Bangladesh for implementation of developmental projects.

The MoU was signed during the visit of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh to India in April 2017.

The MoU provides for deepening the strategic partnership, development of infrastructure in Bangladesh, improving connectivity between India and Bangladesh, thus enhancing accessibility to our North Eastern Region, as well as creating new business opportunities for Indian companies in Bangladesh.

The concessional financing system to Bangladesh would strengthen bilateral relations and development cooperation between India and Bangladesh.

The MoU specifies a list of projects which will be undertaken under the concessional financing system. This provides an opportunity to ensure that projects of India’s interest are undertaken under this LoC.

Some of the projects will ensure better and faster connectivity to the North Eastern region of India with the mainland as well as to the outside world. They will also ensure India’s security and will open up business for Indian companies.

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[Hindustani78]

President's Secretariat
03-June, 2017 21:45 IST
President of India receives first copies of book ‘Lalan Shah Fakir Ke Geet’ and DVD of selected songs of Lalan Shah Fakir


The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee received the first copies of book ‘Lalan Shah Fakir Ke Geet’ written by Prof. Muchkund Dubey and DVD of selected songs of Lalan Shah Fakir today (June 3, 2017) at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Speaking on the occasion, the President congratulated Prof. Muchkund Dubey who had served as High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh for his pioneering work and for giving an opportunity to recognize and pay tribute to Lalan Shah Fakir, a great saint, poet and social reformer. He also congratulated the Sahitya Academi for publishing the book and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations for supporting the project of producing a DVD containing the Hindi rendering by Begum Farida Parveen. He said that Begum Farida Parveen had enthralled all at the gathering with her soulful presentation of songs of Lalan Shah Fakir both in Hindi and Bengali. He expressed hope that the translation and musical rendering of Lalan Shah Fakir’s songs into Hindi would contribute in an unprecedented way to popularizing the incomparable compositions of Lalan Shah Faqir in all parts of India.

The President said that there is hardly any Bengali who does not know the songs of Lalan Shah Fakir. Among the luminaries of saint poets – particularly of the Bengali speaking region, Lalan Shah Fakir occupies an exalted position. He is regarded as one of the most profound thinkers and social reformers of this region. His poetry is an invaluable treasure of the Bengali literary tradition. This outstanding saint did not lean on any one religion or ideology, but picked up the best from Vaishnavism, Sahajya Buddhism and Sufism.

 

[Hindustani78]

The President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee receiving a copy of the book of Hindi Translation of Bengali Songs of Lalan Shah Fakir by Prof. Muchkund Dubey, at a function, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on June 03, 2017.

 

[Hindustani78]

President's Secretariat
07-July, 2017 19:30 IST
Officer Trainees of Bangladesh Foreign Service attending a special course at the Foreign Service Institute, New Delhi call on President

Officer Trainees of Bangladesh Foreign Service attending a special course at the Foreign Service Institute, New Delhi called on the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan today (July 7, 2017).

Welcoming the young diplomats of Bangladesh, the President said that he was delighted to see so many young faces from the Bangladesh Foreign Service. He said that they were worthy representatives of a great nation. They will bring new ideas and a new system of governance. He emphasized that to create a happy society is also the responsibility of modern governance. He said that he was confident that they would be able to carry forward the legacy of trust and amity between our two countries, as they pursue their career in the Bangladesh Foreign Service.

The President said that today, when Bangladesh is free and liberated and is engaged in its own development, the sacrifices of its martyrs are vindicated. It is heartening to see impressive strides made by Bangladesh on human development, healthcare, education, women empowerment and other socio-economic fronts. He reminded the young diplomats that the future of Bangladesh is in their hands.

The President said that India attaches highest importance to its relations with Bangladesh, a close neighbour and with which we share a lot in common. Bangladesh is India’s closest friend and relationship between the two countries is exemplary in many ways. India-Bangladesh shares a common bond of history, language, culture and strong people-to-people ties. This shared history unites us in unique and special ways.

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[Hindustani78]

The President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee with the Bangladeshi Officer Trainees (Young Diplomas) attending Special Course for Bangladesh Diplomats at the Foreign Service Institute, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on July 07, 2017.

 

[Hindustani78]

Cabinet
12-July, 2017 13:46 IST
Cabinet apprised of MoU between India and Bangladesh for cyber security cooperation

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has been apprised of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Bangladesh on cyber security cooperation between Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of India and Bangladesh Government Computer Incident Response Team (BGD e-Gov CIRT) Bangladesh Computer Council of Information and Communication Technology Division under the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology of Bangladesh. The MoU was signed on 8th April, 2.017.

The MoU intends to promote cooperation between CERT-In and BGD e-Gov CIRT and includes exchange of information on Cyber attacks and cyber security incidents; Cyber security technology cooperation; exchange cyber security policies and best practices and Human Resource Development in this field in accordance with the relevant laws and regulations of each country and on the basis of equality, reciprocity and mutual benefits.

The MoU between CERT-In and BGD e-Gov CIRT would be implemented through a duly set up Joint Committee on Cyber Security.

Background:

CERT-In is a national nodal agency under Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India, with the objective of securing Indian cyber space. Hence, CERT-In is collaborating with overseas Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) for incident response and resolution.

The agreement comes in the backdrop of Governments, business and consumers are increasingly faced with a variety of cyber threats. Besides, there is a need to further improve cyber security readiness and raise awareness around the importance of keeping systems secure and security practices and procedures current and recognizing the importance of cooperation by the two organizations in the area of cyber security.

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Cabinet12-July, 2017 13:48 IST
Cabinet approves Joint Interpretative Notes on the Agreement between India and Bangladesh for Promotion and Protection of Investments

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for the Joint Interpretative Notes (JIN) on the Agreement between India and Bangladesh for the Promotion and Protection of Investments.

The JIN would impart clarity to the interpretation of the existing Agreement between India and Bangladesh for the Promotion and Protection of Investments (BIPA). The JIN includes interpretative notes to be jointly adopted for many clauses, including, the definition of investor, definition of investment, exclusion of taxation measures, Fair and Equitable Treatment (FET), National Treatment (NT) and Most Favoured Nation (MFN) treatment, expropriation, essential security interests and Settlement of Disputes between an Investor-and a Contracting Party.

Joint Interpretative Statements in general play an important supplementary role in strengthening the investment treaty regime. With increasing Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) disputes, issuance of such statements is likely to have strong persuasive value before tribunals. Such pro-active approach by States can foster a more predictable and coherent reading of treaty terms by arbitration tribunals.

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[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Finance
02-October, 2017 17:35 IST
The Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Shri Arun Jaitley to leave on a 2 day Official visit to Dhaka, Bangladesh tomorrow; To deliver a Talk on “Macroeconomic Initiatives of the Govt. of India: Financial inclusion, Demonetization and Cashless Economy”; To Call on the Prime Minister of People’s Republic of Bangladesh during the visit; To launch Cashless Visa Services among others.

The Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Shri Arun Jaitley will arrive at Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka tomorrow i.e. Tuesday, 3rd October, 2017 on a two day official visit to Bangladesh. After his arrival, the first major engagement of the Indian Finance Minister Shri Jaitley will be to deliver the Inaugural Address at the Business Meeting between Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FBCCI) and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) tomorrow afternoon. In the evening, a Dinner will be hosted by the High Commissioner of India, Shri HarshVardhan Shringla in honour of the Indian Finance Minister.

Next day i.e. on Wednesday,4th October, 2017, the Union Finance Minister, Shri Arun Jaitley will hold a Bilateral Level Meeting with the Finance Minister of Bangladesh, Mr. Abul Maal A Muhith. During the visit of the Indian Finance Minister, Shri Jaitley, a Dollar Credit Line Agreement between the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh and Export-Import Bank of India (EXIM Bank) is likely to be signed for 3rd Line of Credit. Besides it, “Joint Interpretative Notes on the Agreement between India and Bangladesh for the Promotion and Protection of Investments” are also likely to be signed during the visit of Indian Finance Minister.

Later, the visiting Indian Finance Minister, Shri Arun Jaitley and Bangladesh Finance Minister Mr. Abul Maal A Muhith will launch the Cashless Visa Services. After that, the Finance Minister Shri Jaitley will deliver a Talk on the “Macro-economic Initiatives of the Government of India: Financial Inclusion, Demonetization and Cashless Economy”. Later in the afternoon, the visiting Indian Finance Minister, Shri Jaitley is likely to call on the Prime Minister of People’s Republic of Bangladesh.

In the evening on 4th October, 2017, the Bangladesh Finance Minister Mr. Abul Maal A Muhith will host a Dinner in the honour of the visiting Indian Finance Minister, Shri Arun Jaitley. The Finance Minister Shri Jaitley will depart for back home in the morning on 5th October, 2017 after completing his two day official visit to Bangladesh.



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[Hindustani78]

Dhaka, October 03, 2017 21:55 IST
Updated: October 03, 2017 21:56 IST

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...-bangladesh/article19791853.ece?homepage=true

Arun Jaitley arrives in Dhaka ahead of the event
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley arrived here on Tuesday ahead of India and Bangladesh signing the third line of credit (LoC) agreement involving $4.5 billion to be spent on infrastructure and social sector development.

“His visit will be marked by the signing of the deal... that was announced during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s New Delhi visit,” a Bangladesh finance ministry spokesman told reporters.

He said two agreements for the implementation of the third LoC and the ‘Joint Interpretative Notes on the Agreement between India and Bangladesh for the Promotion and Protection of Investments’ would also be signed in the presence of Mr. Jaitley and his Bangladesh counterpart A.M.A. Muhith.

“The two countries are also expected to enter into another deal on investment promotion and protection during the visit,” the spokesman said.

A special aircraft carrying Mr. Jaitley landed at the Bangladesh Air Force base on Tuesday afternoon. Mr. Muhith received his counterpart, who was accompanied by a group of business leaders and senior officials on the three-day visit.

New visa scheme
The two countries signed the first LoC in August 2010. The second one was inked in March, 2016.

According to the tour schedule, Mr. Jaitley would call on the Bangladesh premier and inaugurate, along with his counterpart, a new scheme for cashless transactions in visa services run by the State Bank of India on behalf of the Indian High Commission here.

 

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External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj being welcomed by her Bangladeshi counterpart AH Mahmood Ali on her arrival in Dhaka on Sunday. | Photo Credit: PTI

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...or-together/article19901477.ece?homepage=true

Sushma Swaraj, who arrived in Dhaka on a two-day visit, said “India has been a longstanding and reliable development partner of Bangladesh”.

India and Bangladesh on Sunday discussed the common challenge of terrorism and resolved to fight the scourge together even as New Delhi reaffirmed its status as a reliable development partner to Dhaka.

“We are both determined to protect our societies from the threat of ideologies of hate, violence and terror by adopting a zero tolerance policy and a comprehensive approach in fighting violent extremism and terrorism at all levels,” External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said after talks with the Bangladeshi side as part of the fourth Joint Consultative Commission.

“We discussed the common challenges that we are faced with today. One such challenge is that of terrorism, extremism and radicalisation and we will continue to fight this scourge together and along with other like-minded countries,” she said.

“Largest development assistance”
Ms. Swaraj, who arrived here on a two-day visit, said “India has been a longstanding and reliable development partner of Bangladesh”.

“Totally, three lines of credit amounting to $8 billion have been extended by India to Bangladesh so far. This is by far the largest development assistance that India has extended to any country worldwide,” she said.

India has also been extending grant assistance for small socio-economic projects in Bangladesh. In the past three years alone, 24 such grant projects have been completed which include construction of students’ hostels, tube-wells, cultural centres, and orphanages among others. Presently 58 projects, including city development projects in Rajshahi, Khulna and Sylhet, are under implementation, she said.

“India is now supplying 660 MW of much needed power to the Bangladesh people and this figure will double, if not triple, in the foreseeable future. We will work together as founding members of the International Solar Alliance, for which Bangladesh has just confirmed its accession. This alliance is expected to make solar energy affordable,” Ms. Swaraj added.

Increasing connectivity
The two nations have already agreed on the construction of a petroleum products pipeline that will link Siliguri with Parbatipur, for the benefit of the people of northwestern Bangladesh, as a grant in aid project.

The setting up of LNG terminal, supply of natural gas by pipeline and investments in the upstream sector are also under consideration, she said. Restoration of pre-1965 links encompassing road, rail, water and coastal shipping links is being planned to increase connectivity, citing increase in frequency of the Dhaka-Maitri express, she added.

The inaugural run with end-to-end Immigration and Customs services for the Maitri Express and the inaugural commercial run of the Kolkata-Khulna Bandhan service are all expected soon, she said.

Visas schemes
In order to facilitate people-to-people contacts, Ms. Swaraj said the Indian Mission and Posts in Bangladesh issued 9.76 lakh visas in 2016 and these are expected to grow to about 14 lakh visas in 2017.

Ms. Swaraj also said India would offer five-year multiple entry visas for Bangladeshi freedom fighters and is planning a scheme for their medical treatment in India.

She will also hand over some memorabilia of the 1971 liberation war to Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to be displayed in museums.

This is Ms. Swaraj’s second visit to Bangladesh and comes after the recent trip of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley during which India operationalised a ₹4.5 billion line of credit to Bangladesh to enable implementation of development projects in key areas, including power, railways, roads and shipping.

The announcement of the line of credit was made during Hasina’s visit to India in April.

The development is also seen as India’s attempt to counter rising Chinese influence in Bangladesh, where Beijing is trying to make inroads in infrastructure ventures.

 

[Hindustani78]

Proof of a bond: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj hands over the 1971 war memorabilia to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-gifts-war-memorabilia-to-bangladesh/article19902051.ece
DHAKA, October 22, 2017 22:55 IST
Updated: October 23, 2017 14:44 IST


External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj hands them over to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
India on Sunday gifted to the Bangladesh Prime Minister memorabilia of the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971 when an estimated 10 million Bangladesh people took refuge in India and the two neighbours fought together to drive out the Pakistani occupation army.

The memorabilia,handed over to Sheikh Hasina by visiting Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, includes military equipment utilised by the joint forces of India and Bangladesh as well as a large number of artefacts and documents, including historical photographs, archival audio and video clippings, maps, battle records, newspaper clippings, documentary films.

To be displayed in museums

The collection is proposed to be displayed at the Bangladesh National Museum in Shahbagh and the Museum of Independence in Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka.

Ms. Swaraj called on Ms. Hasina at the latter's official Ganobhaban residence and they held discussions.

The Minister conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and informed the Bangladesh leader about the discussions at Sunday’s Joint Consultative Committee meeting. Various aspects of the relationship including security, trade and connectivity, development cooperation, power, energy and sub-regional cooperation were discussed.

On the ongoing Rohingya crisis, the Minister reaffirmed India’s continued support. Under ‘Operation Insaniyat’, India provided 1000 tonnes of relief material for about 5,00,000 displaced persons, she said.

Rohingya crisis

She stressed that India was “deeply concerned” at the situation in the Rakhine State of Myanmar. “It is imperative that normalcy in the State is restored expeditiously and a lasting solution found at the earliest,” she said.

Ms. Hasina thanked India for the support it had rendered for the distressed Rohingya.

 

[Hindustani78]

The process of laying railway tracks to connect Agartala with Akhaura in Bangladesh would be completed next year.
india Updated: Oct 28, 2017 13:10 IST
Press Trust of India, Agartala

Apart from the Moitree Express which runs between Dhaka and Kolkata, another train Bandhan Express to run between Khulna in Bangladesh and Kolkata is likely to be launched next month.(File for representation)

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india...ister-haque/story-rgo2Iao2fdtyB1UYcMouMO.html


Bangladesh railway minister Mujibal Haque said an initiative has been taken to reconnect railway lines with India in 12 places, which were snapped after partition of the country in 1947.

“We want to restore all the railway lines which existed before the partition of India. Now the initiative is on to restore rail connectivity in 12 places between Bangladesh and India. Both the governments are cooperating with each other in this regard,” he told reporters here last evening.

Haque was in the capital to attend a conference of Rotary Clubs of both the countries. Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar inaugurated the conference.

The Bangladesh minister said the second rail bridge on the Titas and the Bhoirab rivers in Brahmanbaria district of his country was completed with funding from India, and that it would be inaugurated soon.

Apart from the ‘Moitree Express’ which runs between Dhaka and Kolkata, he said another train ‘Bandhan Express’ to run between Khulna in Bangladesh and Kolkata, was likely to be launched next month.

“There is also a proposal from Bangladesh side to launch a train to connect Rajshahi in Bangladesh and Kolkata,” he said.

Haque noted that the progress of the 15-km long ongoing Agartala-Akhaura project was satisfactory and land acquisition for the purpose in Bangladesh side was complete.

Land acquisition for the project in Indian side has also been completed, West Tripura District Magistrate and Collector, Milind Ramteke told reporters earlier.

The Central government has released Rs 97.63 crore to acquire the land, he said.

The process of laying railway tracks to connect Agartala with Akhaura in Bangladesh would be completed next year, Haque said.

Out of the 15-km track, five km would be on Indian side and the rest in Bangladesh.

Ramteke stated that the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) was the nodal agency for implementation of the project in Indian side.

Former railway minister Suresh Prabhu and Haque had jointly laid the foundation stone of the project here on July 31 last.

A flyover of 3.7 km will be constructed on the Indian side to save cultivable lands and the entire project cost will be borne by the central government.

New Delhi is keen to establish the rail link as it will connect West Bengal and Tripura through Bangladesh.

The 1,700 km distance between Agartala and Kolkata, which goes through the chicken neck in Siliguri, would be reduced to 350 km if passengers could move through Bangladesh, officials said.

 

[Hindustani78]

Prime Minister's Office
09-November, 2017 12:17 IST
PM Modi, Bangladesh PM, and West Bengal CM, jointly launch connectivity projects between India and Bangladesh


The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, the Bangladesh Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, and the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Ms. Mamata Banerjee, today jointly inaugurated a series of connectivity projects between the two countries.

These include, the second Bhairab and Titas Railway Bridges; and the International Rail Passenger Terminus at Chitpur in Kolkata. The dignitaries also flagged off the inaugural run of the Bandhan Express between Kolkata and Khulna.

External Affairs Minister Smt. Sushma Swaraj, also joined the event from New Delhi.

Following is the text of the Prime Minister’s address on the occasion:

“इस प्रसारण से जुड़े सभी लोगों को, और विशेषकर बांग्लादेश में रहने वाले सभी भाइयों और बहनों को नमस्कार।

कुछ दिन पहले दोनों देशों में दीपावली, दुर्गा पूजा और काली पूजा के महोत्सव मनाए गए।

मैं दोनों देशवासियों को इस festival season की शुभकामनाएं देता हूँ।

मुझे प्रसन्नता है कि video conference के माध्यम से आपसे एक बार फ़िर मिलने का अवसर मिला।

आपके स्वास्थ्य के लिए हमारी शुभकामनाएं आपके साथ हैं।

मेरा शुरू से ही मानना रहा है कि पड़ोसी देशों के leaders के साथ सही मायने में पड़ौसियों जैसे संबंध होने चाहिए।

जब मन किया तो बात होनी चाहिए, visits होने चाहिए।

इस सबमें हमें protocol के बंधन में नहीं रहना चाहिए।

कुछ समय पहले हमने South Asia Satellite के launch के समय इसी प्रकार video conference की थी।

पिछले वर्ष हमने मिल कर Petrapole ICP का उद्घाटन भी इसी प्रकार किया था।

और मुझे प्रसन्नता है कि आज हमारी connectivity को मज़बूत करने वाले महत्वपूर्ण projects का उद्घाटन हमने video conference के माध्यम से किया।

Connectivity का सबसे महत्वपूर्ण आयाम है हमारी people-to-people connectivity.

और आज international passenger terminus के उद्घाटन से कोलकाता-ढाका मैत्री express और आज शुरू हुई कोलकाता-खुलना बंधन express के यात्रियों को काफी सुविधा होगी।

इससे उन्हें न सिर्फ़ customs और immigration में आसानी होगी, बल्कि उनकी यात्रा के समय में भी 3 घंटे की बचत होगी।

मैत्री और बंधन, इन दोनों rail सुविधाओं के नाम भी हमारे shared vision के अनुरूप हैं।

जब भी हम connectivity की बात करते हैं, तो मुझे हमेशा आपके pre-1965 connectivity बहाल करने के vision का ख़याल आता है।

मुझे बहुत ख़ुशी है कि हम इस दिशा में क़दम-दर-क़दम निरंतर आगे बढ़ रहे हैं।

आज हमने दो rail पुलों का भी उद्घाटन किया है। लगभग 100 million dollars की लागत से बने ये पुल बांग्लादेश के rail network को मजबूत करने में सहायक होंगे।

बांग्लादेश के विकास कार्यों में विश्वस्त साझेदार होना भारत के लिए गर्व का विषय है।

मुझे प्रसन्नता है कि हमारे 8 billion dollars के concessional (कनसे-शनल) finance के commitment के अंतर्गत projects पर अच्छी प्रगति हो रही है।

Development और Connectivity दोनों एक साथ जुड़े हुए हैं, और हम दोनों देशों के बीच जो सदियों पुराने एतिहासिक links हैं, विशेष रूप से पश्चिम बंगाल और बांग्लादेश के लोगों के बीच, उन्हें मजबूत करने की दिशा में आज हमने कुछ और क़दम उठाए हैं।

मुझे पूरा विश्वास है कि जैसे-जैसे हम अपने संबंध बढ़ाएंगे और लोगों के बीच रिश्ते मज़बूत करेंगे, वैसे वैसे हम विकास और समृद्धि के नए आसमान भी छूएंगे।

इस काम में सहयोग के लिए मैं प्रधानमंत्री शेख हसीना जी का, और मुख्यमंत्री ममता बनर्जी जी का हृदय से आभार प्रकट करता हूं।

धन्यवाद।

***

Ministry of Railways
09-November, 2017 17:54 IST
Prime Minister of India & Prime Minister of Bangladesh Jointly along with Chief Minister, West Bengal Flag off New Cross-Border Train between India & Bangladesh, “Kolkata-Khulna Bandhan Express” from Kolkata through Video Confencing

Two Rail Bridges in Bangladesh and International Rail Passenger Terminus at Kolkata Station also Inaugurated

Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, the Bangladesh Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh & the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, in an historical event today flagged off Cross Border Train between India & Bangladesh, the Kolkata-Khulna Bandhan Express through video conference from Kolkata station. The leaders unveiled jointly an e-plaque to inaugurate the following:

(i) Second Bharirab & Titas Railway Bridges in Bangladesh,

(ii) International Rail Passenger Terminus with End-to-End Immigration and Customs Clearance Facilities (for the passengers of Maitree Express and Bandhan Express) at Kolkata station.

Shri Sudip Bandyopadhya, Member of Parliament & Chairman, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Railways, Smt. Mala Saha, MLA, Shri Harindra Rao, General Manager, Eastern Railway, Mr. Toufique Hassan, Dy. High Commissioner, Bangladesh Deputy High Commission, Kolkata were also present to grace the occasion at Kolkata station.

In his address, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi said that the close connection and understanding between two countries requires connectivity between the people across the border and Maitree Express and Bandhan Express trains will further add to connectivity between India and Bangladesh and strengthen and strengthen our bonding.He underlined the fact that India has emerged as the most trusted partner of Bangladesh by undertaking and completing a series of developmental projects in Bangladesh.

The Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, lauded the initiative and expressed hope that there would be more such initiatives for increasing rail link & connectivity between the two countries. She also highlighted the fact that it would result in reducing the journey time for the passengers of Maitree and Bandhan Express trains with the introduction of International Passenger Rail Terminus with End-to-End Immigration and Customs Clearance Facilities.

The Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee said that this new Passenger Train link between Kolkata & Khulna will strengthen the ties between two countries. She expressed happiness on introduction of the new train between the two countries & recollected the traditional bonding with Bangladesh.

The Bandhan Express train is the second train to be flagged off after the introduction of Maitree Express’ between Kolkata and Dhaka Cantonment stations in April, 2008. It covers the distance between Kolkata and Khulna through Petrapole & Benapole route to cater to the demands of the people from both the countries to enhance the connectivity.

The Bandhan Express will be a weekly service on every Thursday. The Kolkata - Khulna Bandhan Express (13129 Up) will depart from Kolkata at 07.10 hrs.(IST) and arrives at Khulna at 12:30 hrs.(BST) on the return journey the Khulna-Kolkata Bandhan Express ( 13130 Down) will depart from Khulna at 13.30 hrs. (BST) and arrive at Kolkata at 18.10 hrs.(IST) on the same day. The immigration and Customs checks will take place at Kolkata International Passenger Terminal for the Indian side and at Benapol border station for Bangladesh side.

The journey time of Maitree Express from Kolkata to Dhaka will be 08 hrs.25mts while from Dhaka to Kolkata it will take 08 hrs.15mts. The journey time would be reduced by 2 hours. It will depart from Kolkata at 7.10 hrs.(IST) (on Mon, Tue, Fri & Sat) and arrive at Dhaka at 16.05 hrs.(BST) instead of earlier arrival at Dhaka at 18.05 hrs.(BST). On the return journey it will depart from Dhaka at 08.15 hrs.(BST) (on Wed, Fri, Sat & Sun) instead of earlier departure from Dhaka at 08.10 hrs. (BST) and arrive at Kolkata at 16.00 hrs.(IST) instead of earlier arrival at Kolkata at 18.10 hrs.(IST).

In order to reduce the en-route journey time of the passengers of the existing Kolkata – Dhaka Cantt. Maitree Express and newly introduced Kolkata – Khulna Bandhan Express, Ministry of Railways, with the coordination of Department of Immigration & Customs has opened an International Rail Passenger Terminus at Kolkata station with proper infrastructure and facilities of end-to-end immigration. With this new facility at Kolkata Terminal, the passengers of Maitree Express and Bandhan Express will be immensely benefitted.

The second Bhairab Bridge and Titas Bridge in Bangladesh built under the assistance of Government of India are two of the most important projects in Bangladesh for infrastructure and rolling stock development. The one kilometer long second Bhairab Railway Bridge was built over the mighty Meghna river at a cost of around USD 75 millions by Indian contractors and consultants. Similarly, the Titas bridge over river Titas in Eastern Bangladesh was built with a cost of around USD 25 million. Both these bridges are on the main Chittagong to Dhaka Trunk Rail Line which will help in faster movement of both passenger and freight trains of Bangladesh.

Following is the text of the Prime Minister’s address on the occasion:

“इस प्रसारण से जुड़े सभी लोगों को, और विशेषकर बांग्लादेश में रहने वाले सभी भाइयों और बहनों को नमस्कार।

कुछ दिन पहले दोनों देशों में दीपावली, दुर्गा पूजा और काली पूजा के महोत्सव मनाए गए।

मैं दोनों देशवासियों को इस festival season की शुभकामनाएं देता हूँ।

मुझे प्रसन्नता है कि video conference के माध्यम से आपसे एक बार फ़िर मिलने का अवसर मिला।

आपके स्वास्थ्य के लिए हमारी शुभकामनाएं आपके साथ हैं।

मेरा शुरू से ही मानना रहा है कि पड़ोसी देशों के leaders के साथ सही मायने में पड़ौसियों जैसे संबंध होने चाहिए।

जब मन किया तो बात होनी चाहिए, visits होने चाहिए।

इस सबमें हमें protocol के बंधन में नहीं रहना चाहिए।

कुछ समय पहले हमने South Asia Satellite के launch के समय इसी प्रकार video conference की थी।

पिछले वर्ष हमने मिल कर Petrapole ICP का उद्घाटन भी इसी प्रकार किया था।

और मुझे प्रसन्नता है कि आज हमारी connectivity को मज़बूत करने वाले महत्वपूर्ण projects का उद्घाटन हमने video conference के माध्यम से किया।

Connectivity का सबसे महत्वपूर्ण आयाम है हमारी people-to-people connectivity.

और आज international passenger terminus के उद्घाटन से कोलकाता-ढाका मैत्री express और आज शुरू हुई कोलकाता-खुलना बंधन express के यात्रियों को काफी सुविधा होगी।

इससे उन्हें न सिर्फ़ customs और immigration में आसानी होगी, बल्कि उनकी यात्रा के समय में भी 3 घंटे की बचत होगी।

मैत्री और बंधन, इन दोनों rail सुविधाओं के नाम भी हमारे shared vision के अनुरूप हैं।

जब भी हम connectivity की बात करते हैं, तो मुझे हमेशा आपके pre-1965 connectivity बहाल करने के vision का ख़याल आता है।

मुझे बहुत ख़ुशी है कि हम इस दिशा में क़दम-दर-क़दम निरंतर आगे बढ़ रहे हैं।

आज हमने दो rail पुलों का भी उद्घाटन किया है। लगभग 100 million dollars की लागत से बने ये पुल बांग्लादेश के rail network को मजबूत करने में सहायक होंगे।

बांग्लादेश के विकास कार्यों में विश्वस्त साझेदार होना भारत के लिए गर्व का विषय है।

मुझे प्रसन्नता है कि हमारे 8 billion dollars के concessional (कनसे-शनल) finance के commitment के अंतर्गत projects पर अच्छी प्रगति हो रही है।

Development और Connectivity दोनों एक साथ जुड़े हुए हैं, और हम दोनों देशों के बीच जो सदियों पुराने एतिहासिक links हैं, विशेष रूप से पश्चिम बंगाल और बांग्लादेश के लोगों के बीच, उन्हें मजबूत करने की दिशा में आज हमने कुछ और क़दम उठाए हैं।

मुझे पूरा विश्वास है कि जैसे-जैसे हम अपने संबंध बढ़ाएंगे और लोगों के बीच रिश्ते मज़बूत करेंगे, वैसे वैसे हम विकास और समृद्धि के नए आसमान भी छूएंगे।

इस काम में सहयोग के लिए मैं प्रधानमंत्री शेख हसीना जी का, और मुख्यमंत्री ममता बनर्जी जी का हृदय से आभार प्रकट करता हूं।

धन्यवाद।

*************

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi flagging off the new train service ‘Bandhan Express’ between Kolkata & Khulna, via video conferencing, in New Delhi on November 09, 2017. The Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Ms. Sheikh Hasina and the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Ms. Mamata Banerjee also joined him through video conferencing.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi flagging off the new train service ‘Bandhan Express’ between Kolkata & Khulna, via video conferencing, in New Delhi on November 09, 2017. The Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Ms. Sheikh Hasina and the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Ms. Mamata Banerjee also joined him through video conferencing.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi at the launch of connectivity projects between India and Bangladesh, via video conferencing with the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Ms. Sheikh Hasina and the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Ms. Mamata Banerjee, in New Delhi on November 09, 2017.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressing at the launch of connectivity projects between India and Bangladesh, via video conferencing with the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Ms. Sheikh Hasina and the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Ms. Mamata Banerjee, in New Delhi on November 09, 2017.

A BSF personnel takes pictures of Kolkata-Khulna(Bangladesh) Bandhan Express train