Stating that the pipeline will further boost bilateral cooperation, Mr Modi said that energy was the cornerstone of any country’s development. “The pipeline will help in the development of the northern Bangladesh. Though it is being done with grant-financing from India, the project will be dedicated to the people and government of Bangladesh once completed,” he said.

Mr Modi said the railway project will bring relief to road traffic in Bangladesh. Speaking from Dhaka, PM Hasina said that ever since she formed her government in Bangladesh in 2009, she has been working relentlessly to deepen ties with India. She thanked Mr Modi for the two new projects which she said will help in the development of Bangladesh.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan joined the video conference from Delhi and Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali from Dhaka.