The Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has written a letter to Assam Chief Minister focusing over the shared economic development. With states — West Bengal, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura, Assam is the fifth state that shares international border with Bangladesh.
Expressing her confidence in the newly elected Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma she wrote, “Under your visionary leadership the multi-ethnic, multi-linguistic and multi-faith people of Assam will progress towards a more vibrant society and greater development”.
In the recently held Assembly elections Assam underwent three phases of elections starting from March 27 to April 6. The NDA alliance led by BJP retained power through a landslide victory in the 126 members assembly.
Pointing towards how Bangladesh is “poised to graduate into a middle-income country”, Bangladesh PM expanding a “welcome” to Assam to ” reap benefits from our socio-economic development and growth trajectory”. The United Nations Committee for Development Policy has prescribed the graduation of the country to a middle-income country since it has met all the 3 qualification measures dependent on per capita income, human resource, and vulnerability index.
Focusing on the connective the prime minister said, “government of Bangladesh remains steadfast in strengthening connectivity for the northeastern part of India” and “given our locational advantage as a connectivity hub between” south and southeast Asia “we remain supportive of India’s Act East Policy”. India and Bangladesh are getting connected by means of, rail, road, and waterways, even as the two nations have restored 5 out of pre-1965 6 rail links have been resuscitated. In December, the two sides had a virtual summit, during which the key focus was on connectivity with the launch of the Haldibari-Chilahati rail link connecting Bangladesh with the Indian territory of West Bengal.
Extending her solidarity during the worsened coronavirus pandemic in India PM Hasina wrote, “our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Assam and India as a whole for saving lives and restoring livelihoods”. Crucial to note, Bangladesh sent 10,000 dosages of Remdesivir to India as it battles the second wave of Coronavirus. The whole transfer goes toward the North-Eastern territories of Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Institutes like the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences and North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS). The transfer was given over at the Petrapole line designated spot among India and Bangladesh on May 5.
