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DHAKA: In a blunt attack on Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused it of creating “nuisance” and “constantly” troubling India by promoting terrorism.
The Prime Minister’s sharp criticism came during the course of his address at the Bangabandhu International Convention Centre here when he vowed to jointly combat with Bangladesh terrorism in the region.
“Pakistan aaye din (constantly) disturbs India, jo naako dum la deta hai (creates nuisance), terrorism ko badhawa (deta hai)…ki ghatnaayein ghatthi rehti hain (promotes terrorism and such incidents keep recurring),” Modi said in his address to Dhaka University.
Recalling that 90,000 Pakistani prisoners of war were in India’s captivity during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, Modi said, “if we had a diabolic mindset, we don’t know then what decision we would have taken.”
“Terrorism has no boundaries. India has been troubled by it for the last 40 years. So many innocent people have died and what did those associated with terrorism gain and what have they given to the world…terrorism has no values, no principles, no traditions and it has only one motive and that is enmity against humanity,” he said. A Joint Declaration issued on the last day of Modi’s maiden two-day visit to Bangladesh reaffirmed the two countries’ “unequivocal and uncompromising position against extremism and terrorism in all forms and manifestations.” The two sides also committed to cooperate with each other by sharing information about groups and persons indulging in terrorism.
“They reiterated their commitment that their respective territories would not be allowed to be used for any activity inimical to the other,” the declaration said.
In his address, the Prime Minister came out strongly against expansionism, saying there is no place for it in today’s world.
“The world has changed, there was a time when may be expansionism was used to be the symbol of a country’s power as to which one is expanding how much and reaching which place…but times have changed. Now in this era there is no place for expansionism and the world wants development not expansionism and this is the basic vision.
Significantly scaling up bilateral ties, India and Bangladesh on Sunday said they have decided to expeditiously implement the historic Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) on the ground and cooperate in a wide array of areas such as civil nuclear energy, petroleum and power.
A joint declaration titled ‘Notun Projonmo? Nayi Disha’ (New Generation, New Direction), said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina had agreed to “further enhance cooperation” in the energy sector particularly in renewable energy and nuclear energy.
“Both Prime Ministers agreed to cooperate in the field of civil nuclear energy, especially training for technical personnel,” the statement said giving an insight into the issues discussed during Modi’s meeting with Hasina on Saturday. Significantly, the statement said Modi and Hasina have given directives to the concerned officials on both sides for “expeditious implementation of the 1974 Land Boundary Agreement and its 2011 Protocol on the ground.”
On the first day of Prime Minister Modi’s maiden visit here, the two sides had swapped documents regarding the LBA that paves the way for the operationalisation of the 1974 pact under which 161 enclaves under the control of either countries will be exchanged.
Elaborating on the energy sector, an area of “growing cooperation”, the document said the two countries have decided to initiate an annual India-Bangladesh Energy Dialogue to be led jointly by Secretary (Petroleum) of India and Secretary, Power Division of Bangladesh.
The dialogue will undertake comprehensive energy sector cooperation including in areas of coal, natural gas, LNG, supply of petroleum products in the sub-region, renewable energy, oil and gas pipelines etc.
In an attempt to bolster connectivity in the region, Modi agreed to consider Bangladesh’s proposal to introduce the second Maitree Express between Khulna and Kolkata.
“The two Prime Ministers expressed satisfaction about the ongoing cooperation in the railways sector including the Akhaura-Agartala railway link and revival of the old railway links,” the declaration noted.
Modi and Hasina welcomed the signing of the ‘Coastal Shipping Agreement’, which they said would open up newer avenues of cooperation in the areas of bilateral and regional trade and connectivity.
“Both the Prime Ministers agreed on the need for dredging of the Bangladesh-India inland water protocol routes to utilise their full potential,” the joint declaration said.
The two Prime Ministers expressed satisfaction at the “unparalleled” level of cooperation between the two countries on security related issues and reaffirmed their “unequivocal and uncompromising position against extremism and terrorism in all forms and manifestations”, it said.
They reiterated their commitment that their respective territories would not be allowed to be used for any activity inimical to the other, the declaration said. (PTI)
