Foreign Secretaries of Bangladesh and India met in New Delhi for a two day meeting.
Bangladesh emphasized the need for creating conditions for increasing bilateral trades and to minimize the huge trade gap between the two nations. The first-day talks also focused on greater connectivity when Foreign Secretary Md Touhid Hossain and his Indian counterpart Shivshankar Menon welcomed the commencement of the Dhaka-Kolkata Maitree Express.
The discussions on connectivity also focused on better utilization of the Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade, improvement of border infrastructure to facilitate trade, and the need for approaching specific issues through relevant forums.
The two Foreign Secretaries also had wide-ranging discussions on ways to make tangible progress on water-related issues. They reached a decision to work closely to counter the threats posed by terrorism and other illegal cross-border activities like smuggling of fake currencies, narcotics and drugs, and arms.