India-Bangladesh Maitri "strengthens" as Jaishankar meets his Bangladeshi counterpart

NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar extended a warm welcome to Bangladesh Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud, emphasising that their discussions aim to fortify the enduring friendship between India and Bangladesh.

"Welcome to India, FM Dr Hasan Mahmud of Bangladesh. Our discussions today will strengthen India-Bangladesh Maitri," said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in a post on X.

Mahmud, who is on a visit to India from February 7-9 arrived in the national capital in the early hours of Wednesday.

Speaking to ANI, Mahmud said, "We are two brotherly countries. We have excellent ties between the two countries. Any visit of a Bangladesh minister or an Indian minister to Bangladesh definitely strengthens our ties".

The Bangladesh Foreign Minister also thanked EAM Jaishankar and the Indian government for inviting him.

"We value the visit because I have come here on the invitation of the Foreign Minister of India. We are thankful to the Indian Government and especially to the Foreign Minister for inviting me here. Definitely, this visit will contribute to the relationship," he added.

He also laid emphasis on security issues and said that many crucial aspects were discussed during his meeting with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.

"Security is definitely an important issue worldwide. In our region also, this is a very important issue. So, meeting with the Security Advisor is also very important and we discussed many important issues," Mahmud further said.

Earlier in the day, FM Mahmud met with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.

The two leaders held discussions on exploring avenues for enhanced regional cooperation to ensure security and foster greater stability not only within the region but also beyond.

Notably, this is Mahmud's first foreign visit after being sworn into the new Bangladesh government following Sheikh Hasina's historic victory, securing a consecutive fourth term as Prime Minister.

Hasan Mahmud, who hails from Chittagong in the southeast of Bangladesh, served as Deputy Foreign Minister during Sheikh Hasina's second term during 2009-2014.

Hasina's party, the Awami League, secured 223 seats to form the government in the elections held on January 7. The Awami League government named its 36-member cabinet after President Mohammad Shahabuddin invited them to form the government.

The elections were held amid tensions, as the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Jamaat-e-Islami, and like-minded parties observed a strike across the country as they boycotted the elections.