– Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra says while addressing a press conference on Saturday
West Bengal News Desk: A new passenger train service will be launched on the Rajshahi to Kolkata route from next month, Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said on Saturday.
This route will connect West Bengal’s Gede to Haldibari via Bangladesh, Vinay Kwatra said while addressing a press conference on Saturday adding that more connectivity projects are being planned between the two countries.
He said a new bus service between Kolkata and Chattogram will be started soon, said the Indian Foreign Secretary.
During the restricted delegation-level meeting, leaders from both sides covered extensive areas of bilateral cooperation and global and regional issues, he said.
A long discussion took place during the meeting regarding BIMSTEC cooperation, the component of the sub-regional cooperation, said the Indian government high official.
He mentioned that substantial discussions also took place during the delegation-level meeting on criminal activities along the Bangladesh-India border.
“India is particularly sensitive to incidents of killings on the border,” he said emphasising the use of non-lethal weapons as a recommendation to deal with the matter.
He, however, said the border forces are often attacked by criminal gangs inside the Indian territory.
According to him, the bilateral relationship has now turned into transformational cooperation which includes futuristic cooperation keeping in line with the idea of making Bangladesh a smart one.
Explaining satellite launching, the foreign secretary said that a small satellite would be launched from an Indian launch vehicle.
On the power and energy cooperation, the foreign secretary said sub-regional cooperation among Nepal, Bhutan, India and Bangladesh was discussed during the meeting.
The plan involving Assam and Bihar is on the cards. Before the finalisation of the CEPA more border haats are being planned to open for the people of border areas.
Regarding the Rohingya crisis, he said that the issue was discussed threadbare and consequences in Myanmar were also mentioned. India has assured to extend all sorts of help resolving the Rohingya crisis, he added.
