Modi Hails Sheikh Hasina’s Resolve To Crush Terror As India-Bangladesh Sign Trade Pacts

Amid a flurry of trade pacts signed between India and Bangladesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that peace, security, and development for the nations and the region will be top priority.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina government’s ‘zero-tolerance’ policy towards terrorism is an inspiration for all of us, Modi said. “We agreed that peace, security and development for our people and for the region will remain central to our engagement.”

In a push to bilateral ties, India has signed four defence deals with Bangladesh, and extended a first-of-its-kind $500-million line of credit for it to purchase military hardware. The four pacts were part of 22 agreements signed on Saturday. Another 12 agreements worth about $9 billion are expected to be signed over the next two days, officials said.

The Prime Minister called the signing of the agreements a “long overdue step”. In implementing the line of credit, India will be guided by Bangladesh’s “needs and priorities”, he said.

While the defence pacts were the highlight for the Indian side, Bangladesh did not get the closure on the Teesta water-sharing pact that it was hoping for. Modi did, however, convey his government’s commitment to the pact.

“Along with our shared land boundaries are our shared rivers. They sustain our peoples and their livelihoods. And the one that has attracted the greatest attention is the Teesta. This is important for India, for Bangladesh, and for the India-Bangladesh relationship.”