By Sumi Khan
Dhaka, Mar 23 (IANS): Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday stressed on signing a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) between her country and Nepal for mutual benefits as well as pitching for a joint hydro power plant, along with India.
Meeting visiting Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari at Hotel InterContinental here, she also sought cooperation in the field of trade and commerce for tapping the potential of the two South Asian countries.
"The PTA will be beneficial for the two countries," she said.
Bhandari, meanwhile, lauded Hasina's leadership, saying: "You're a much inspiring leader in the world and I'm an admirer of you."
Stressing that she is happy to attend the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and golden jubilee programmes of Bangladesh's liberation during her maiden visit to the country, she said that Bangladesh has made a remarkable progress under the leadership of Hasina and her country wanted "meaningful cooperation" with it.
Regarding development of women, she said Bangladesh can be a role model of women's participation in national development tasks.
Welcoming Bhandari to Bangladesh, Hasina recalled with gratitude the moral and material support of Nepal during the 1971 Liberation War when it supplied arms to freedom fighters.
Hasina offered landlocked Nepal the use of Chattogram and Mongla ports, and the Syedpur Airport. "We're upgrading Syedpur Airport into a regional one," she noted.
She mentioned about the BBIN connectivity, saying that this would help increase the trade and commerce among Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and India.
She also said many Nepalese students are staying in Bangladesh as they pursue their higher studies.
Bhandari also put emphasis on Bimstec connectivity and thanked the Prime Minister for offering port facilities and use of Syedpur Airport.
"Both the countries can use their resources at the optimum level for their national development," she said.
Referring to climate change, she mentioned that both the countries face adverse impacts of natural disasters, while Hasina said she always mentions Nepal as a climate vulnerable country.
She also said Bangladesh, Nepal and India can set up hydroelectric power plant through mutual cooperation which will be better for all the three countries.
Bhandari also thanked Hasina for supplying her country fertiliser when there was an urgent need for it.
She also handed over Nepali translations of two books -- "Unfinished Memoirs of Bangabandhu" and "Karagarer Rojnamcha" -- to Hasina.
Bangladesh Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen and Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen attended the meeting, while on the Nepalese side, the Nepalese President's daughter Usha Kiran Bhandari, Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali and Nepal Academy Chancellor Ganga Praad Uprety were present.