PM seeks use of Indian territory to import electricity from Bhutan

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today called for Indian assistance to use their territory to import electricity from Bhutan.

The prime minister said this while Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma called on her at the Gono Bhaban in Dhaka.

PM's speechwriter M Nazrul Islam briefed the reporters after the interaction.

"The prime minister has sought support from the Indian side to import electricity from Bhutan smoothly," he said.

Nazrul mentioned that Bangladesh will import electricity from Bhutan and an agreement in this regard will be signed during the upcoming visit of the Bhutanese king scheduled for March 25.

According to informed sources, discussion between Bangladesh and Bhutan about the import of electricity are almost finalised.

The PM urged the Indian government to remove its anti-dumping measurers in the import of jute and jute goods from Bangladesh. She also mentioned that India could modernise the Syedpur Railway Worksop.

The prime minister told the envoy that Bangladesh has achieved unprecedented development because of a continuous democratic system in the country.

High Commissioner Pranay Verma mentioned that last year a total of four projects were implemented in Bangladesh under the Indian Line of Credit (LOC).

"And two more projects are in the pipeline for the implementation," he said.

The Indian high commissioner said India is committed to taking forward the negotiations for Comprehensive Economic Partnership (CEPA) agreement between the two countries.

He also said that CEPA would be helpful after Bangladesh graduates to a developing economy in 2026. He added that new thinking and discussions are going on to prepare a new framework for the LOC to make it project-based.

In the power and energy sector, India expressed its willingness to establish a high-power grid line among Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal for transmitting power easily to any part the four countries.

He also said there was a move to extend the diesel pipeline up to Natore from Syedpur to import diesel from India.

Verma said the world famous defence industries are relocating their factories in India.

He said that Bangladesh could set up a defence factory in Bangladesh with Indian joint venture.

He invited PM Hasina to visit India after his country's national elections and she accepted the invitation, said Nazrul.