Former Bangladesh and Indian diplomats have called on their respective governments to train their focus on economic engagement and intensify security cooperation.
Participating in a two-day first ever Bangladesh-India High Commissioners’ Summit organised by the international relations department of Dhaka University and the India-Bangladesh Foundation, the former envoys adopted a nine-point Dhaka Declaration that charts the future course of bilateral ties.The former envoys urged both nations to strengthen friendly relations on the basis of mutual trust, amity and cooperation in the best interests of the people of Bangladesh and India.
They called for an endeavour to ensure equal, equitable, inclusive and sustainable growth based on social justice and respect, and stressed on the need for a holistic approach towards addressing unresolved issues and challenges.
Meanwhile, in interviews with a section of the press some former envoys from the the big neighbour made half-baked comments on commitments of different government in Bangladesh to tackling the problem of terrorism and militancy.
Veena Sikri for instance was quoted by some newspapers to have said that the erstwhile BNP government did not accept the existence of militancy that in her view has been uprooted by the AL government. Fact remains that the the JMB militants who grew suddenly from nowhere were effectively tackled and brought to justice by the erstwhile BNP government very much during her tenure as High Commissioner.
Both governments were urged to recognise the importance of deeper and effective communications at the popular level through greater and comprehensive flow of information and contacts between students, academicians, print and electronic media, corporate sector, environmentalists and other stakeholders to build enhanced level of awareness, mutual trust and confidence.
The declaration also underscored the need to ensure free and increased flow of goods and services, including investment and financial services, between the two countries.
The summit decided to form alumni of the former high commissioners of Bangladesh and India in the two countries for regular interaction and sharing of experiences among themselves and with other stakeholders.
It recommended that this interaction should continue with regular biennial summits and proposed holding the next summit in India in 2016.
Six former Indian envoys in Dhaka-Muchkund Dubey (Oct 1979 – Oct 1982), IS Chadha (Oct 1985 – Feb 1989), Deb Mukharji (March 1995 – July 2000), Veena Sikri (Dec 2003 – Nov 2006), Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty (January 2007 – Dec 2009) and Rajeet Mitter (Dec 2009 – October 2011) — attended the meeting.
Participants from Bangladesh were Faruq Ahmed Chowdhury, Farooq Sobhan, Harun ur Rashid, Mostafa Faruque Mohammed, Humayun Kabir, Tariq Ahmed Karim, Hemayetuddin and Touhid Hossain. – ANI via EIN News
