Energy, commodities top agenda

Energy trading and cooperation in absorbing shocks from the Ukraine war may figure high during a summit meeting between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Indian premier Narendra Modi today (Tuesday).

Bangladesh foreign secretary Masud Bin Momen said so while talking to the media after Monday's meeting in Delhi between Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and the visiting Prime Minister of Bangladesh.

Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka for New Delhi earlier in the day on a four-day trip--seen by many as important in the current context of domestic, bilateral, regional and global affairs.

"The war between Russia and Ukraine resulted in energy crisis across the world and we will seek ways and means whether we can buy surplus diesel or fuels from India," Mr Masud said when asked about the major talking points of the two-nation summit.

Bangladesh is procuring power from India. This cooperation can be expanded through including Nepal and Bhutan, he added.

Getting prior information about the prices of strategic commodities will be another major issue during the meeting between the two premiers.

Very often markets of some essential commodities, which are imported by Bangladesh from India, become volatile due to export restrictions.

Bangladesh will request for predictability of such decisions so that it can keep the market of such essentials stable, the foreign secretary said.

During her meeting with Mr Jaishankar, the Prime Minister expressed concern over the situation in Rakhine state of Myanmar along Bangladesh border, saying that such tension would impede the process of early repatriation of the Rohingya.

The Indian foreign minister agreed to her observation, saying that India also thinks that such incident is unwanted, the foreign secretary said.

The FS expressed optimism that pre-signing procedures of the planned seven MoUs would be completed by Monday night and be handed over during bilateral talks between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi.

Responding to a question, he said interim water sharing of Kushiyara River is one of them. Earlier, Bangladesh and India had finalised the text of a memorandum of understanding (MoU).

Jaishankar, who met PM Hasina at her place of residence (ITC Maurya), said he was delighted to meet the Bangladesh Prime Minister.

"The warmth and frequency of our leadership-level contacts is a testimony to our close neighborly partnership," he tweeted.