By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, JULY 27, 2016: THE Bangladeshi delegation led by State Minister for Posts and Telecommunications Ms. Tarana Halim, recently visisted India. The delegation met the Union Minister of Communications Mr Manoj Sinha in New Delhi. During the meeting, the Union Minister, Mr. Sinha conveyed to the delegation that Bangladesh is welcome to utilize the services of Indian Companies in executing telecom projects in the neighbouring country. New Delhi has already offered line of credit worth two billion US dollars to Dhaka and Indian companies including Tejas have successfully completed pilot projects in connecting 100 Union Parishads (Gram Panchayats) in Bangladesh and has pitched for executing 1000 such projects.

Mr. Sinha further pointed out that unlike other foreign companies operating in Bangladesh in the telecom sector, Indian companies have also offered to share technology and to impart skill training. Mr Sinha said that through technology transfer, C-DoT could help strengthening Bangladesh telecom network and rural population encouraging local manufacturing. Mr Sinha suggested to his Bangladeshi counterpart that there is a need for an increased number of postal surface mail exchange points between the two countries as at present surface mails are exchanged only at one point ( Petrapole-Benapole), while other exchange points like Akhaura-Agartala, Tamabil-Karimgong, Burimari-Changrabandha, and Hilli-Hilli may be considered. Both the sides stressed the need for effective cooperation considering the borderless nature of cyber threats and issues and similar challenges faced by the two countries.