Bangladesh Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud recently said the relationship with India is bonded by blood.

While speaking to ANI, the foreign minister emphasized that India is not only a neighbour but also played a vital role in Bangladesh’s independence war.

“You are having elections… In the future, definitely, PM Shiekh Hasina will visit India," he said.

"India is our immediate neighbour. We have a wide range of issues. India is not only our neighbour, but it also played a very vital role in our independence war. Indian people and the army shed their blood. Our relationship is bonded by blood. The invitation came from India first. That’s why I chose India for my first foreign visit," he said.

Speaking on his discussion with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, he told ANI, “We had a very good discussion. We discussed all the issues including cross-border issues, Rohingya issues, security issues, powersharing and connectivity issues. We discussed all of these issues."

The Bangladeshi minister visited India from January 7 to 9 at the invitation of S Jaishankar.

During the meeting, the two leaders also discussed areas of future engagement in line with the national development goals of the two countries, including the visions of "Viksit Bharat 2047" and "Smart Bangladesh 2041".

They expressed commitment to further enhance their collaboration to promote sub-regional cooperation within the framework of BIMSTEC, IORA and BBIN.