Hyderabad: A five-year multiple entry visa for Bangladesh will be issued to senior citizens to strengthen and deepen the relations between India and Bangladesh, stated the High Commissioner of Bangladesh to India, Syed Muazzem Ali, in his address to the Administrative Staff College of India in Hyderabad on Monday.
Mr Ali was in town for the inaugural session of Capacity Building programme on Good Governance and Effective Public Administration.
Bangladesh is keen to improve people-to-people contact between the two countries and for that reason is now opening an office in Chennai.
The base in South India will allow people from the region easier access to Bangladesh for travel and business purposes.
Increasing trade and allowing big Indian industrialists to set up units in Bangladesh are other objectives.
“India and Bangladesh share 54 common rivers and this is the most sensitive issue as it involves food production and also quality of life,” said Mr Ali.
“India and Bangladesh worked out an interim water sharing agreement in 2011 but it could not be concluded due to the objection raised by West Bengal. The Indian government is working with their counterparts in West Bengal and we are looking forward to a favourable agreement,” he added.
Connectivity in terms of road, rail and coastal shipping links that existed in pre-partition days are being restored and new routes are also being created. This will help increase trade and commerce.
Bangladesh is looking for co-operation in the energy sector and on security issues which are of prime concern.
Mr Ali said, “The present Bangladesh government has been very strict and has not allowed the land of Bangladesh to be used for any terrorist attacks on India. Security co-operation has been very high and there is no tolerance for terrorism. We are working hard to improve confidence on both sides.”
