Modi phones Sheikh Hasina, pledges to work together to boost food production

GBNEWS24 DESK//

Dhaka and New Delhi today pledged to work together to boost food production to offset the possible food crisis due to the coronavirus pandemic as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina this afternoon.

“The Indian premier phoned Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina around 5:50 pm and extended Bangla Nabo Barsho and Ramadan greetings to her and the people of Bangladesh,” PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim told BSS.

The Bangladesh prime minister also extended Ramadan greetings to Narendra Modi and the people of India, the press secretary said.

During the 12-minute telephonic conversation, he said, both the leaders mentioned that their governments have taken initiatives to increase food production to face the possible food crisis due to the coronavirus pandemic.

If needed we’ll work together to this end, the two premiers said.

Sheikh Hasina said various international organisations including the United Nations have expressed apprehension that the situation may linger.

“So, all the countries of the region will have to work in unison to deal with the situation,” she said.

The two leaders appreciated the steps taken by the both countries to combat the pandemic and reiterated their commitment to work together to this end.

Both the premiers also agreed to advance the initiatives that the SAARC countries took to fight the COVID-19 in a video-conference held last month in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

Sheikh Hasina extended her thanks to Narendra Modi for sending medicines and other medical equipment to Bangladesh to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Indian prime minister paid tributes to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on the occasion of his birth centenary, the press secretary said.