Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was entertained with Kolkata Biryani, fragrant basmati rice and vegetables cooked and flavoured in Kolkata style, and other local food items at the banquet luncheon hosted by her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House here.
The other local items included Dahi Puchka (Indian street food delicacy-crispy puffed balls stuffed with curd and street food condiments, served with sweet and tangy flavoured water); Matar aur Bajre ka Shorba (an exotic green peas and pearl millet broth flavoured with mint, topped with almond foam); Chhanar Pathuri (Bengali delicacy made with cottage cheese steamed and wrapped in banana leaf with coconut, green mangoes, chilli and mustard paste, served on a bed of steamed rice); and Subz Keema & Thyme Singara (crumbled potatoes, feta, cauliflower, peanut & thyme stuffed in "Samosa" pastry).
The dishes also included Amaranth Kofta Gulbadan (amaranth vegetable dumpling simmered in Indian kofta curry); Panchmel ni Sabzi (seasonal vegetables with cumin, onion and tomato slivers, a Gujarati delicacy); Doi Paneer (marinated cottage cheese steaks cooked with tangy curd and Indian spices); Shukto (Bengali mix vegetable curry); and Bengali Masoor Dal (Bengali lentil delicacy).
Dhaka and New Delhi today signed 10 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) including seven new and three renewed in the presence of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to further consolidate the ever-growing relationship between the two neighbouring countries.
The MoUs were signed after the delegation-level talks between the two countries at the Hyderabad House here as Sheikh Hasina is now in New Delhi on a two-day state visit to India.
The talks mainly featured connectivity, energy, sharing of water from common rivers, maritime resources, trade, border management, security and development partnership.
After the delegation level meeting, the Bangladesh prime minister along with her Indian counterpart witnessed the exchange of MoUs on the key areas of blue economy and maritime cooperation, railway, capacity building, health, academic cooperation, fisheries and disaster management.
Of the seven new MoUs, a MoU on the Field of Blue Economy and Maritime Cooperation in the Bay of Bengal and India Ocean Region was signed between the government of Bangladesh and the government of India.
Bangladesh and India initiated their first Line of Credit (LoC) agreement 12 years ago, with India pledging $7.36 billion to Bangladesh; however, as of last December, only $1.65 billion has been disbursed.
Although talks between the two countries have been ongoing for the last few years to speed up the implementation of the agreement, progress has been slow.
Therefore, to expedite the process, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will emphasise the issue during her upcoming visit to Delhi, where it will be a key topic at the summit meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sources said.
The entire capital turned into a city of procession as thousands of people from every strata of life joined the colorful procession arranged marking the 75th founding anniversary (Platinum Jubilee) of Awami League.
Thousands of leaders and workers of different units of Awami League and its associate bodies joined the procession that started from the Engineers Institution of Bangladesh adjacent to Suhrawardy Udyan, the historic place where the Pakistani military surrendered to the freedom fighters 52 years back, at around 4 pm.
Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader inaugurated the procession.