India to give food essentials as gift to Bangladesh

Dhaka, July 29 (UNI) India has decided to give food essentials as a gift to the people of Bangladesh, according to a release from the Indian High Commission here.

In a meeting with Indian High Commissioner Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty at the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry this afternoon, Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury handed over a letter to Mr Chakravarty from his Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee saying the Indian government has decided to send 40,000 tonnes of rice, 10,000 tonnes of wheat and 1,000 tonnes of milk powder as a "gift" to the people of Bangladesh.

Mr Chowdhury also asked the High Commissioner to convey his acceptance with thanks and appreciation to Mr Mukherjee.

The upcoming bilateral and SAARC Ministerial meetings were also discussed during the visit. ''I believe we have been able to place our relationship within a friendly and cooperative framework. Within this framework, mechanisms set up to address specific issues, have now begun their tasks in real earnest." India and Bangladesh enjoy multifaceted relations. "As a close neighbour, India is interested in seeing a stable, prosperous and peaceful Bangladesh," the letter said.

UNI