Fakhrul, Nepalese envoy discuss bilateral ties, Saarc revival

Nepalese Ambassador to Bangladesh Ghanshyam Bhandari on Monday met BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and discussed bilateral issues and the revival of Saarc to enhance regional cooperation.

The hour-long meeting, which began around 10:30am, was held at the BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office in the capital, reports UNB.

BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, party’s international affairs committee member Shama Obaed, and Deputy Chief of Mission at the Nepali embassy in Dhaka, Lalita Silwal, were present at the meeting.

After the meeting, Amir Khosru briefed reporters on the outcomes of the meeting.

“Our relationship with Nepal is long-standing. We discussed various issues related to bilateral interests, regional cooperation and potentials,” he said.

Khosru said that their party believes Bangladesh should strengthen its ties with Nepal as a democratic state in South Asia. “We hope to see a reflection of human rights, good governance, and improved bilateral and regional relations in the days ahead.”

He said Bangladesh has enjoyed a strong relationship and cooperation with Nepal for a long time. “But we have not fully exploited the potential of the friendly ties as we should have.”

Khosru mentioned that they discussed with the Nepalese Ambassador how to utilise Saarc for regional development, people-to-people relations, and enhancing connectivity and economic progress in South Asia.

“We have not been able to take Saarc to the level envisioned by the late President Ziaur Rahman. The Nepalese ambassador also shares the view that the region’s potential has not been fully unlocked through SAARC,” he stated.

The BNP leader said they also talked about collaborating to elevate Saarc for better regional cooperation and development.

Khosru said they also discussed the possibility of importing Nepal’s affordable hydroelectric power to Bangladesh.