India to help BD in importing hydropower from Bhutan: FM

India to help BD in importing hydropower from Bhutan: FM

Dhaka, Mar 25 - Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud on Monday said India will help Bangladesh to import hydropower from Bhutan the way India helped in importing hydropower from Nepal.

He made the remarks while talking to reporters after his meeting with Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.

Bangladesh wants to import hydropower from Bhutan and a tripartite agreement is required to bring the electricity through India.

The two sides are in discussion to that end but there is no plan to sign any agreement during the ongoing state visit of the Bhutanese King.

At the meeting with the Bhutanese King, Minister Hasan laid emphasis on people to people contact.

The Foreign Minister requested the Bhutanese King to join BBIN (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal) initiative and enhance air connectivity.

Currently, there are only two flights on Dhaka-Thimphu route which needs to be increased, he said.

"Bhutan is a very beautiful country. Those who visited Bhutan, want to go again and again," he said, adding that they also discussed ways to allow people visit Bhutan by road.

Both sides expressed satisfaction at the current excellent level of cooperation between the two countries.

They agreed to enhance cooperation in the areas of trade and commerce, connectivity, power, agriculture, education, culture and people to people contact. 

Bangladesh will allocate 190 acres of land in Kurigram for a special economic zone for Bhutanese investors.

Bangladesh will construct a Burn and Plastic Surgery Unit in Thimphu as a goodwill gesture which also demonstrates the country’s capacity.

Bhutan was the first country to recognise the newly independent Bangladesh on December 6 in 1971 when the 3rd King of Bhutan sent a message of recognition by telegram.

Since then Bangladesh and Bhutan share a special multidimensional bilateral relationship. Immediately after the independence, the Bhutanese government took initiative to establish diplomatic relations with Bangladesh and, consequently, formal diplomatic relations was established on 12 April 1973.-UNB