Gautam Adani makes a 'Victory Day' promise to Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina

Industrialist and chairman of Adani Group, Gautam Adani, has said his company will supply power to Bangladesh from its upcoming power project in Jharkhand by December 16, which is celebrated as the Bijoy Dibosh (Victory Day) in Bangladesh to commemorate its independence from Pakistan in 1971.

Adani Power, a subsidiary of Adani Group, has set up a 1,600 MW thermal power in the Godda area of Jharkhand to supply power to the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) through a transmission line.

Adani after meeting Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday tweeted:  “We are committed to commissioning our 1600 MW Godda Power Project and dedicated transmission line to Bangladesh by Bijoy Dibosh, 16 Dec 2022.”  

The project is significant as Bangladesh has been recognised as an important partner under India's 'Neighbourhood First' policy. Narendra Modi’s government had promised to offer support to all neighbouring countries for trade and commerce, power and energy, transport and connectivity, science and technology, defence, rivers, and maritime affairs. As per news reports, Bangladesh has been suffering energy shortages after the gas and coal prices surged following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Bangladesh premier Hasina is on a four-day visit to India and is scheduled to meet top ministers in the Indian cabinet. She met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday and discussed issues of bilateral interest and importance.   
"Delighted to call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh this evening. The warmth and frequency of our leadership level contacts is a testimony to our close neighbourly partnership," Jaishankar tweeted on Monday.    

Hasina met PM Narendra Modi on Tuesday and addressed a joint press conference on the sidelines of bilateral talks between the two countries. PM Modi said: "Trade between India-Bangladesh is increasing rapidly. We have decided to extend cooperation in the IT, Space and Nuclear sectors. Talks are also underway b/w India and Bangladesh on power transmission lines." 
 
Bangladesh is India's biggest trade partner in the South Asian region and the bilateral trade has grown from $9 billion to $18 billion between 2018 and 2022. It has also become the fourth largest export destination for India with the exports registering a growth of over 66 per cent from $9.69 billion in 2020-21 to $16.15 billion in 2021-22.  

(With inputs from PTI)