Bangladesh seeks India's support to become member of BRICS: FM

Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today said Bangladesh has sought support from India to become a member of BRICS, a group of emerging-market nations - the acronym stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, reports BSS.

"If BRICS decides to take a new member or partner, we want to be a part of the BRICS. We have sought support from India to this end (during the delegation level talks),"he said.

He briefed media about Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's engagements on her two-day state visit to India at the invitation of her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.

The foreign minister said the delegation level talks featured many issues of bilateral interests that include joint management of 54 common rivers and their water sharing, connectivity, trade, security, border management, introduce of quota for Bangladesh to import essential commodities from India, quick medical visas for Bangladeshis and development of partnership.

During the meeting, both sides have expressed their satisfaction as the bilateral relations between Bangladesh and India has been strengthening and continuing to reach new height under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for the last 15 years and Indian premier Narendra Modi in last 10 years.

"Both sides have expressed their willingness to elevate further the relations," Dr Hasan said.

Replying to a question, he said that Bangladesh and India have shared 54 common rivers.

The matter of forming joint river management for the rivers has prominently come to the delegation-level talks, the foreign minister said.

"Joint river management is important as it can help us to fight together the adverse impact of the climate change," he said.

Replying to a query, Dr Hasan said Bangladesh is set to import electricity from Bhutan and Nepal and Bangladesh has already signed an agreement with Bhutan to this end.

He said Bangladesh has talked about the matter with India and "India gave a very positive response".

It is not enough to only produce electricity and it also requires a transmission line to distribute the power, the minister said.

Hasan said India has been currently working to set up a transmission line for 3000mw power.

"India will facilitate Bangladesh from the transmission line to this end," he said.

About killings at boarder, the foreign minister said both Bangladesh and India are politically committed to bring down the boarder killings to zero level.

Both the countries have been working to decrease the killings in borders, he said.

He continued they have sought to introduce a quota for Bangladesh to import essential commodities such as onion, oil, wheat, and sugar.

"We have sought a specific quota for this purpose as they don't stop exporting essential items to Bangladesh," he said.

Replying to a query, the foreign minister said Teesta project was also discussed during the bilateral meeting with India.

India has expressed its desire to assist Bangladesh in the implementation of the Teesta project, he said, adding that other countries have also expressed their willingness to this matter.

Technical committees of both the countries will sit together to pursue the matter, he continued.

Dr Hasan also said India has expressed no objection to China to this end.

The foreign minister said Bangladesh had sought help from India to send back 12 lakh forcibly displaced Rohingyas to their motherland Myanmar.

Indian side said China has a role to play to this end, he said.

In reply, Bangladesh Prime Minister said she will bring the matter to Chinese government as she will visit China soon, he said.

In replying to a question, Mahmud said he himself brought the issue of resolving the existing problem over Indian medical visa for Bangladeshis by cutting the duration of issuing medical visas.

Bangladeshis are currently facing problem in getting medical visas as it takes a long time, he said.

The Indian Prime Minister already asked the authorities concerned to resolve the problem.

India has been working to update their software and issue e-visas to resolve the problem, he said.

Bangladesh High Commissioner to India M Mustafizur Rahman and PM's Press Secretary M Nayeemul Islam Khan were present during the briefing.