India, B’desh share strong commitment to counter destabilising forces abetting terrorism: Shringla

New Delhi, Dec 6 (PTI) India and Bangladesh share a strong commitment to counter destabilising forces that aid and abet terrorism and radicalisation, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said on Monday and asserted that strengthening cooperation in tackling challenges such as misinformation and disinformation through the internet is of the highest importance.

In his address at an event commemorating ‘Maitri Diwas’, the 50th anniversary of India-Bangladesh Diplomatic Relations, at Indian Council of World Affairs, he said effective cooperation between both countries will go a long way in preserving social harmony.

Shringla said India and Bangladesh are together celebrating Maitri Diwas not just in Dhaka and New Delhi but in 18 capitals across the world. It not just confirms that the bonds are strong but conveys the shared optimism for the future and the certainty that they will endure and grow.

He said both countries share a strong commitment to counter destabilising forces that aid and abet terrorism and radicalisation.

Strengthening cooperation in tackling new and emerging challenges such as misinformation and disinformation through the internet is of the highest importance, the foreign secretary said.

Effective cooperation between both countries will go a long way in preserving social harmony, Shringla said.

He said the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh Premier Sheikh Hasina has provided strategic guidance and weight in shaping the contemporary and future trajectory of the India-Bangladesh relationship.

Noting that India and Bangladesh fought the scourge of the COVID-19 pandemic together, Shingla said the prime ministers of the two countries attended the video conference of South Asian leaders in March 2020 on combating this challenge and they contributed to an Emergency Fund.

Senior healthcare professionals and practitioners from both countries have shared experiences and information, formally and informally, and continue to do so, he said.

“Bangladesh was one of the first destinations for Indian vaccines. The Oxygen Express between India and Bangladesh is another example of our solidarity in the face of this health disaster,” he said.

The President of India will participate in the golden jubilee Victory Day celebrations in Dhaka on December 16, Shringla said, adding that the high-level visits and exchanges have been taking place.

India and Bangladesh today share a relationship that is stronger, more diversified and mature, he said.

“Like in all strong relationships, there have been challenges. The period after the horrific assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on 15 August 1975, had its difficulties.

“We have faced other complex and troubling situations. These have been tackled, and continue to be tackled, in the framework of mutual trust and cooperation, transcending a conventional strategic partnership, between our countries,” he said.

Shringla also said that with the signing and ratification of the Land Boundary Agreement in 2015 and the demarcation of the maritime boundary, both nations have unlocked the potential for expanding cooperation in joint management of the border and Blue Economy.

This is also the spirit that underlies the transformational growth of connectivity between the two countries, the foreign secretary said.

Five of the six railway linkages between the two countries that existed prior to 1965 have been revived, he said, adding that the sixth will soon be revived.

An additional railway line is being built to link Akhaura with Agartala, he said.

Shringla said India will also continue to work with Bangladesh on a peaceful and stable border through better border management and security cooperation.

Improved border infrastructure is helping border guarding forces keep the border safe, including through joint patrolling and real-time exchange of information, he said.

India was one of the first countries to establish bilateral diplomatic ties with Bangladesh. Ten days before the liberation of Bangladesh, India had recognised it on December 6, 1971.