NEWS DESK

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi have pledged to work together to boost food production to offset the possible food crisis due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The two leaders came up with the statement during a telephonic conversation on Wednesday afternoon, reports FT.

PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim said the Indian premier phoned Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina around 5:50 pm and extended Bangla Noboborsho and Ramadan greetings to her and the people of Bangladesh.

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 fear 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.