DHAKA, 24 February, 2021 (TON): Indian high commissioner to Bangladesh, Vikram Doraiswami emphasized the importance of people-to-people relationships, saying they need to leave behind suspicion and doubt for the sake of prosperity.

At a seminar titled ‘Bangabandhu: Bangladesh-India relation’ organized by Indian Media Correspondents Association, Bangladesh or IMCAB at the National Press Club in Dhaka on Tuesday, he said, "What we should do is destroy the suspicions and doubt, because there is no room for suspicion and doubt.”

“The world is moving fast today. The faster we can cooperate with each other, the more we could be able to prosper together,” Doraiswami added.

Stressing on working together in culture, film, media, business, travel, and transport, and finding ways to prosper together’ based on principles of sustainable relationships set during the time of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

“Because I have seen how prosperity grows as cooperation grows. So there is no good for me that should not be good for you, and there is no good for you that should not be good for me. If we take this principle, we will be following the spirit of Bangabandhu’s leadership,” the high commissioner said.

He pointed out the signing of the protocols and agreements on water sharing, land boundaries, trade, transport, and other areas of cooperation.

Referring to the Ganges water-sharing treaty, the high commissioner said, “Again it took us over 35 years to be able to restart the work what Bangabandhu richly envisioned.”

 “So essentially we don’t need a new rulebook or new guidebook to figure out how we to improve our relationship. Bangabandhu’s writings and Bangabandhu’s words give us the very good guidelines on what we should be doing,” he added.

Doraiswami said there is no difference between the aspirations of the Indian and the Bangladeshi people.

“And our aspirations are best satisfied when we can cooperate as closely as possible. Prosperity, security and safety and indeed the happiness of our people are all inter-connected."

“As we have seen today, Bangladesh is our largest trading partner in South Asia; Bangladesh is our largest partner for travel and movement of people in the world today. Bangladesh is our most important market for travel.”

It has been observed that the relationship between Bangladesh and India is at the highest peak since after 1975, therefore the official underlines that now it essentially involves increasing partnerships in education, increasing partnerships in business, and ensuring that every step of the way India and Bangladesh try and see what they can do together.