Dhaka: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is looking forward to visit Bangladesh soon with some good results and concrete proposals for the development and welfare of both the countries.

The Indian External Affairs Secretary (Multilateral & Economic Relations), Sujata Mehta, said this when she paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence in Ganobhaban, Dhaka on Monday afternoon.

After the meeting, PM’s Press Secretary AKM Shameem Chowdhuri said the Indian external affairs secretary conveyed Narendra Modi’s greetings to the Prime Minister during the meeting.

Mehta said an excellent relationship now exists between the two neighbouring countries and hoped that the bilateral ties would reach a new height under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina .

She highly praised Bangladesh’s stunning success in socioeconomic uplift including GDP growth and stable economy under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

About India’s fresh proposal to Bangladesh to provide another $1 billion loan under the second Line of Credit (LoC), Mehta said: “We could take more development projects under the LoC.”

The Indian external affairs secretary noted that three to four more Indian companies are interested to invest in power and energy sectors in Bangladesh.

Mehta said Bangladesh could invest or buy electricity directly from the hydro power plants set up in the northeastern India. There could be formed a “solar alliance” between the two countries, she said.

At the meeting, the Prime Minister mentioned that Bangladesh attaches importance to its relationship with India and said the two close neighbours could do some more for the development and welfare of both the nations, especially for the rural poor.

Terming poverty as the common enemy of the region, Sheikh Hasina put emphasis on working together to reduce poverty and bringing down gap between the rich and the poor.

The Prime Minister emphasized the need for taking more initiatives on water-sharing and regional connectivity involving Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Bhutan.

In this connection, the Indian external affairs secretary responded positively on behalf of the Indian government.

Secretary of the Prime Minister’s Office Suraiya Begum, Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pankaj Saran and PM’s Press Secretary AKM Shameem Chowdhuri were present.

Mehta, the seniormost official dealing with multilateral and development cooperation issues arrived in Dhaka on Sunday on a three-day visit to review and discuss the ongoing Bangladesh-India development partnership and economic cooperation, and explore the scope of strengthening further the bilateral relationship.

Alok Kumar Sinha, Joint Secretary (Development Partnership Administration) and Sripriya Ranganathan, Joint Secretary (Bangladesh and Myanmar), accompanied Mehta for the courtesy call.