MEA invites Bangladesh Information Minister to join Modi’s dinner for FMs

Jan 14, 2020

Newdelhi: In a rare gesture, the Ministry of External Affairs has invited visiting Information Minister of Bangladesh to join dinner hosted by PM Narendra Modi for the foreign Ministers of different countries particiapating in Raisina Dialogue.

Bangladesh Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud is in India for a bilateral meeting with the Indian Information Minister Prakash Jaodekar. He is not participating in the Raisina Dialogue. Deputy Foreign minister of Bnagladesh was actually invited for the Raisina dialogue but at the last moment he had to cancel his visit as he was supposed to join Prime Minister Hasina who is going to Abu Dhabi.

There was speculation in the media about unhappiness of Dhaka over the Citizenship Amendment Act which seeks to grant citizenship to the persecuted minorities of Bnagladesh-Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Today both India and Bnagladesh Information minister met in a hotel for bilateral dialogue . At the meeting, representative of MEA requested him to change his visit schedule to attend the dinner hosted by PM Modi for dignitaries of different countries.

Bangladesh minister was supposed to leave for Hyderabad tomorrow but because of special request he has change his schedule to attend the dinner. Sources to the close the minister told this correspondent that PM Modi himself is very much interested to meet him.

The Bangladesh Minister had to convey this request of MEA to highest level of the Government in Dhaka, following which a formal green signal was given to him to attend the dinner.

He mentioned in the meeting about “India’s contribution to the Bangladesh’s Great War of Liberation in 1971 and said that the relations between the two friendly countries had reached new heights during the tenure of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.”

India considers Bangladesh as the most trusted neighbor in South Asia.But the controversial CAA has created some mistrust among the common people of the Bangladesh. Sources in the Dhaka delegation pointed out that they keenly watched PM Modi’s speech given last Sunday in Belur Math of Westbengal. They found that PM Modi spoke only about minorities of Pakistan without mentioning the name of Bangladesh . But they have not come to any conclusion. However, they that the Indian Government will take into the account of the sensivity hidden in this relationship.

Information Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud and his Indian counterpart Prakash Javadekar today formally launched the broadcasting programme between Prasar Bharati and Bangladesh Betar, which would enable the listeners of both the countries, especially the people in Tripura and West Bengal, to hear Bangladesh Betar’s Programmes terrestrially, while rest of the India through using DTH (Direct to Home) service.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the two institutions in 2018 in regard to broadcasting programmes of Bangladesh Betar, but it had not materialized so far.

At the outset of the formal launch, Dr Mahmud in his welcome remarks extended his gratitude to his Indian counterpart for the initiative. He wished that the existing bilateral relations between the two neighbouring countries would further deepen in the years to come for the benefit of the two people.

In this connection, he emphasized on further accelerating media and cultural exchange programmes to enhance technical, cultural and institutional know-how of the people of Bangladesh and India.

On India-Bangladesh Joint Venture Programme to produce the biopic of Father of the Nation by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, he hoped that production of the film would be completed in time.

In his remarks, Indian Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said that Bangladesh and India have “organic relations” and this bond of friendship would be further strengthened in future as both the countries have a “shared legacy”.

He opined that more programmes have to be produced esspecially on environment to aware people to save lives and nature through joint cooperation.

He said Bangladesh and India have been enjoining excellent bilateral relation which got momentum during the tenure of the two leaders- Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Bangladesh High Commissione-in-Charge Roqibul Huq, Director General of Betar, Managing Director BFDC and senior mission officials accompanied the minister in the meeting. The Indian minister was accompanied by senior officials of the ministry of information and external affairs.

The Bangladesh information minister however, sought Indian support for turning the Bangabandhu Film City into an international standard. The Indian side has agreed to provide all out support to this end.

Later, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Films Development Corporations (BFDC) and National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), India on producing the biopic of Bangladesh’s Founding Father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
BFDC Managing Director Miz Nuzhat Yasmeen and her NFDC counterpart TCA Kalyani signed the MoU on behalf of their respected organizations.

Dr. Hasan Mahmud, who is now on a 4-day official visit, later joined a roundtable discussion at the invitation of Vivekananda International Foundation this afternoon before joining a dinner hosted by Bangladesh mission here.
He will join a dinner to be hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in honour of the guests, who joined the prestigious Raisana Dialogue-2020 began today. As many as 700 guests including seven former heads of states and governments from across the world have been participating ghe two day event.

The Bangladesh information minister will visit Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad on Thursday. He will leave Hyderabad for Singapore on Friday.

–India News Stream