DHAKA: Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla has stressed on the importance of nurturing and upholding the spirit of the 1971 Liberation War, especially at a time when radical and anti-liberation forces are trying to destabilise the region for their own interests.

Shringla said the two-way trade in the recent past has witnessed a quantum jump with exports from Bangladesh, for the first time, expected to cross $2 billion this year. In this regard, he said early conclusion of a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement is vital to enhancing this momentum in trade. He also called for concerted focus on connectivity between the two countries. “We have made some progress here but there is a need to make more effective and sustained efforts,” he said. He cited some of the important projects, including the Maitree Power Project in Khulna and the India Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline project, which are expected to get commissioned this year.

He said India and Bangladesh are now working on finalising agreements for other rivers and exchanging best practices in the areas of river embankments, addressing the salinity of rivers. He said this during an interaction with the visiting Bangladesh delegation led by Md Shariar Alam, the State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh in February at the 10th India-Bangladesh Friendship Dialogue organised by the India Foundation in Shimla. Awami League MPs and central leaders were also present there. Shringla said: “India and Bangladesh share 54 rivers which are part of our shared resources and responsibilities. The historic accord on Ganga water sharing has stood the test of time. We are now working on finalizing agreements for other rivers and exchanging best practices in the areas of river embankments, addressing salinity of rivers.”