<div><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud on Monday said India will help Bangladesh to import hydropower from Bhutan the way India helped in importing hydropower from Nepal.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>He made the remarks while talking to reporters after his meeting with Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh wants to import hydropower from Bhutan and a tripartite agreement is required to bring the electricity through India.</div><div><br></div><div>The two sides are in discussion to that end but there is no plan to sign any agreement during the ongoing state visit of the Bhutanese King.</div><div><br></div><div>At the meeting with the Bhutanese King, Minister Hasan laid emphasis on people to people contact.</div><div><br></div><div>The Foreign Minister requested the Bhutanese King to join BBIN (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal) initiative and enhance air connectivity.</div><div><br></div><div>Currently, there are only two flights on Dhaka-Thimphu route which needs to be increased, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>"Bhutan is a very beautiful country. Those who visited Bhutan, want to go again and again," he said, adding that they also discussed ways to allow people visit Bhutan by road.</div><div><br></div><div>Both sides expressed satisfaction at the current excellent level of cooperation between the two countries.</div><div><br></div><div>They agreed to enhance cooperation in the areas of trade and commerce, connectivity, power, agriculture,education, culture, people to people contact etc.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh will allocate 190 acres of land in Kurigram for a special economic zone for Bhutanese investors.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangladesh will construct a Burn and Plastic Surgery Unit in Thimphu as a goodwill gesture which also demonstrates the country’s capacity.</div><div><br></div><div>Bhutan was the first country to recognise the newly independent Bangladesh on December 6 in 1971 when the 3rd King of Bhutan sent a message of recognition by telegram.</div><div><br></div><div>Since then Bangladesh and Bhutan share a special multidimensional bilateral relationship. Immediately after the independence, the Bhutanese government took initiative to establish diplomatic relations with Bangladesh and, consequently, formal diplomatic relations was established on 12 April 1973.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>