Bangladesh- Meghalaya land border survey meeting held; Agriculture Minister of Bangladesh visits India; India completes its commitment of delivering a consignment of 290 double-decker buses; Indian Health and Family Welfare Minister visits Bangladesh; Pak
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    • (NOVEMBER 5-11)

    According to reports, Bangladesh and Meghalaya held a three-day meeting on land border survey along the Sylhet-Meghalaya frontier at Sylhet on November 6, 2012. ).1

    In another development, according to reports, pending a solution to sharing of the waters of common rivers including the Teesta, Bangladesh sought India's help for dredging and re-excavating those rivers to ensure irrigation in the lower riparian country. The issue was discussed during Agriculture Minister of Bangladesh Matia Chowdhury’s meeting with Indian Water Resources Minister Harish Rawat in New Delhi on November 7. During her visit to India Ms Chaudhury met Indian Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, agricultural scientist Dr M S Swaminathan and Indian National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon. ).2

    Reports noted that India has completed delivering a consignment of 290 double-decker buses, amounting to $ 23.32 million, to Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC). The project for procurement of the buses was approved under the $ 1 billion Indian Line of Credit. Of the buses, 180 are already plying Dhaka roads while 110 wait at the depot for distribution. The contract of the buses' procurement was given to M/s Ashok Leyland Ltd, India with effect from September, 2011. The delivery of the buses started in March 2012 and the last lot of the buses arrived in Chaitipur BRTC depot on October 30, 2012. ).3

    According to reports, Indian Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi visited Bangladesh and met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Gono Bhaban on November 10, 2012. ).4

    According to reports, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina made a three days visit to Vietnam. During her meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, both the countries agreed to enhance cooperation in security and defence and to fight together against transnational crimes and human trafficking. Both the leaders also agreed to strengthen cooperation in trade and investment, information, communication and agriculture. They assured each other of supporting Vietnam's candidature in the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for 2014-2016 term and Bangladesh's candidature for 2015-2017 term. At the end of the visit a 14-point joint communiqué was issued in Hanoi on November 4, 2012. ).5

    In other developments, according to reports, the sixth meeting of Bangladesh-Myanmar Joint Commission for economic cooperation began on November 11 to establish better connectivity and boost bilateral trade between the two next-door neighbours. ).6

    Bangladesh has formally joined the 52-nation Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) devoted to building up cooperation between Asia and Europe on political, economic and social issues along with two other countries -- Norway and Switzerland on November 6, 2012. ).7

    Pakistan's Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar went to Dhaka on November 9 on a five-hour visit to invite Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to Islamabad to attend the Developing-8 Summit on November 22. ).8

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