A delegation of north-eastern states, comprising chief ministers of Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya, called on Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and stressed the need of reviving the age-old ties between the landlocked north-eastern states and Bangladesh.
Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Northeast chapter, organised the meeting with the Bangladesh Prime Minister on the sidelines of Indo-Bangladesh trade fair in Dhaka. The fair begun on May 31 and was attended by ministers and top officials of all north-eastern states, besides traders and industrialists of the region.
The delegation raised crucial issues, including transit facilities for north-eastern states through Bangladesh, infrastructure for facilitating access for Indian exporters to Chittagong Port, besides accelerating the process of setting up rail and road links between the two countries.
Meghalaya chief minister Mukul Sangma asked to explore Dhaka-Sylhet-Shillong-Guwahati Bus Service project as it would go a long way in developing tourism in the region while Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Nabam Tuki marketed the state as the future powerhouse of hydropower. Mr Tuki also met Bangladesh foreign minister Dipu Moni and pitched for international investments while projecting the unique natural advantages enjoyed by the state in various sectors.
During the course of discussion, a joint venture in hydropower between Arunachal Pradesh and Bangladesh was agreed upon. Bangladesh has also expressed its willingness to purchase power from Arunachal Pradesh and advocated necessity of setting up a central power grid.