Dhaka, Delhi discuss consular access for Indian fishermen, repatriation of Bangladeshi fishermen

Bangladesh and India on Sunday discussed early consular access for Indian fishermen who were detained in Bangladesh last week and repatriation of Bangladeshi fishermen who were detained by the Indian authorities in mid-September.

Issue related to the status of return of the Indian workforce to Bangladesh who had been engaged in a few Line of Credit (LoC) projects; status of Indian visa operations and renewal of Revised Travel Arrangement (RTA) were also highlighted.

The two sides also laid emphasis on holding meetings of regular bilateral mechanisms including the Foreign Office Consultations (FOC).

Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma met Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin and discussed how the two countries can take forward the relations in the coming days on all fronts.

During the meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, they also discussed the shared aspirations of the people for peace, security and development.

“No, no specific…it was more in terms of how we will take forward the relations in the coming days,” the Indian envoy said when a reporter wanted to know whether they have any discussion on issues relating to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The two sides underscored the importance of activating the regular bilateral mechanisms between the two countries.

Asked about the next Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between India-Bangladesh, he said this is what they were discussing.

The last FOC between the two countries was held in New Delhi on 23 November last year.

The High Commissioner on 2 October met Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During the meeting, various bilateral issues were discussed and it was emphasized that the two countries need to work together to promote bilateral relations.

Bangladesh and India in recent days discussed cooperation in the areas of trade, projects and people-to-people contacts.

The importance of resuming regular visa processing by the Indian High Commission also came up for discussion.