BJP eager to work with AL for political stability in the region: Nadda

India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President JP Nadda on Monday said his party is eager to work with the Bangladesh Awami League in future for the sake of political stability and curbing terrorism in the region like in the past.

"BJP has a warm relation with the Awami League since long and we want to carry forward our relations by strengthening party-level contacts in the days to come," he said while a visiting five-member AL delegation held a meeting with him at his residence in New Delhi.

AL Presidium Member and Agriculture Minister Md Abdur Razzaque led the delegation that included AL Joint-General Secretary and Information and Broadcasting Minister Hassan Mahmud, its Organising Secretary Sujit Roy Nandi, Aroma Dutta, and Professor Marina Jahan.

During the meeting, they discussed different issues including political stability in the region, Bangladesh's economic development, curbing militancy and India-Bangladesh relations as well, according to meeting sources.

Nadda said India has had a warm relationship with Bangladesh since the very inception of the country in 1971. Then a young parliamentarian, the future Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Bajpyee had brought a motion in favour of Bangladesh in 1971 in the Indian parliament, Nadda mentioned.

He said the relations between the two countries reached a new height during the tenure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina.

In this connection, he mentioned that the long-standing Bangladesh-India Land Boundary and Maritime Disputes were solved during the tenure of the two prime ministers.

Hailing the present economic progress in Bangladesh, Nadda said Bangladesh achieved a tremendous success in the country's socio-economic sectors in the region, which is considered as an example for other countries.

On cross-border terrorism, the delegation members apprised Nadda that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina showed "zero tolerance" on terrorism as she said her government won't allow terrorists to use an inch of Bangladesh land for terrorism.

After the meeting that lasted for over one and a half hours, Information Minister Hasan Mahmud told BSS, "We discussed so many issues with the BJP president." The AL and the BJP have been enjoying a very good relationship and both the countries are solving so many outstanding issues at party and government levels through discussion.

The minister hoped that the relations will continue further in the days to come.

Earlier, the Bangladesh delegation held a formal meeting with the BJP at its headquarters.

BJP General Secretary Vinod Twade and Bangladesh delegation chief Abdur Razzaque led their respective delegations.

Welcoming the AL delegation, the BJP general secretary quoted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's famous quote: "Bangladesh and India relations are now enjoying the best of the best relations known as a Golden Chapter [Sonali Adhay] of the bilateral ties".
During the meeting, the both sides also discussed a wide range of issues, including how to strengthen the party-level relations further with the exchange of party delegation level visits.

The AL delegation arrived in New Delhi Sunday evening at the BJP's invitation as part of its "KNOW BJP" initiative.

The visit aims to enhance party-to-party interaction and enable the delegation to understand the vision and functioning of the BJP.

According to BJP sources, BJP National President JP Nadda announced the "KNOW BJP" initiative for the external outreach of the party on its 43rd Foundation Day.