Dhaka-Delhi JCC meeting on Friday

Bangladesh and India is set to discuss bilateral issues like communication, water, connectivity, security, power, energy, border management, trade and commerce in the fifth India-Bangladesh Joint Consultative Commission (JCC) meeting in New Delhi on Friday.

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen and his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj will sit on February 7 and 9 to review the entire gamut of bilateral relations and the significant forward movement in implementation of decisions taken by the two governments since the second JCC meeting held in Dhaka on February 16-17, 2013.

"A number of memorandums of understanding (MoUs) between India and Bangladesh are likely to be signed during the high-profile visit," a senior official of the Foreign Ministry told the Daily Observer on Sunday. The Ministers reviewed the status of implementation of projects under the US $ 800 Million concessional Line of Credit (LoC) extended by India to Bangladesh.
The projects amounting to US $ 751.95 million were being processed and are at various stages of implementation, according to the Foreign Ministry.
However, to attend the meeting, Foreign Minister Momen will leave Dhaka for Delhi on February 7 for a three-day visit.

He will lead a high level Bangladesh delegation comprising secretaries of different ministries and DGs concerned to the JCC meet on Friday while his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj will lead her team.
The last JCC meet was held in Dhaka on October 22-23, 2017.
The relationship between Bangladesh and India is now stands at a new height in last one decade.

Under this umbrella both the countries kicked off the cooperation in the power and energy sector, installation of oil pipe line, increasing connectivity through restoration of pre-1965 links encompassing road, rail, water and coastal shipping links. Momen will call on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday morning apart from holding meeting with his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj.

He will meet former Indian President Pranab Mukherjee at the latter's residence and former permanent representative of India to UN Ashok Mukherjee will call on the minister at his hotel suite on Thursday. "At the last meeting, the Indian side emphasized the increased frequency of the Dhaka-Maitri express, the planned inaugural run of end-to-end Immigration and customs services for the Maitri Express and commercial run of the Kolkata-Khulna Bandhan service, planned bus services linking more India-Bangladesh cities and additional immigration check points along the border, collaboration in nuclear energy, LNG, LPG, and gasoline were also discussed," Foreign Ministry's sources said.

Proposed new regional connectivity initiatives by Bangladesh, include (a) Dhaka-Chennai-Colombo air connectivity, (b) Chittagong-Kolkata-Colombo shipping connectivity, (c) Panchgarh-Shiliguri rail link, (d) internet connectivity for Bhutan through Indian territory, (e) trade route connecting Nakugaon Land port (Bangladesh) to Gayleyphug (Bhutan) via Dalu (India).

"Implementation of the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicle Agreement (MVA) between Bangladesh, India and Nepal through exchange of letters, with provision for Bhutan to join later would be discussed there", a senior official of the foreign Ministry said. "During his three-day official visit to India Momen will call on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday morning apart from holding meeting with his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj on Friday prior to joining the JCC meet," the official said.
Later, he will meet former Indian President and Bharat Ratna (the highest civilian award of India) Awardee Pranab Mukherjee at the latter's residence here.

Former Permanent Representative of India to UN Ashok Mukherjee will call on the minister at his hotel suite on Thursday afternoon.
Momen will also join a lunch to be hosted by the Ministry of External Affairs in his honour on Friday and a dinner by State Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri on Thursday.

Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi will host a dinner on Friday in honour of the ministry and his delegation. Wrapping up his three-day visit, the Bangladesh Foreign Minister will leave New Delhi for Dhaka on Saturday morning.