Bangladesh’s chief adviser called Monday for an integrated economic plan among Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and India’s northeastern states, citing opportunities in hydropower, healthcare and cross-border infrastructure.
Professor Muhammad Yunus made the remarks during a meeting with Indira Rana, the deputy speaker of Nepal’s parliament, who is visiting Bangladesh for an event hosted by the Nepalese Embassy.
Yunus emphasized the importance of shared investments in infrastructure and energy, referencing existing cross-border power agreements and ongoing healthcare projects aimed at improving access throughout the region.
“There should be an integrated economic plan for Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and the Seven Sisters,” Yunus said, referring to India’s northeastern states. “We have more to gain together than apart.”
Both sides discussed the Bangladesh-Nepal-India Tripartite Power Sales Agreement, signed in October, under which Bangladesh is set to import 40 megawatts of hydropower from Nepal using India’s transmission grid. They called for scaling up such initiatives to promote regional energy security.
Yunus also reaffirmed Bangladesh’s commitment to regional health cooperation, highlighting a planned 1,000-bed hospital in Rangpur that he said would serve patients from Nepal and Bhutan.
Rana said Nepal is eager to strengthen economic and educational ties with Bangladesh. “All our parliamentarians want to work closely with Bangladesh,” she said, noting that more than 2,700 Nepali students are currently studying in the country, mainly in medical colleges.
The leaders also discussed the need for improved road connectivity, with Yunus suggesting that better direct links between Bangladesh and Nepal could reduce trade costs and improve regional mobility.
Attendees at the meeting included Ghanshyam Bhandari, Nepal’s ambassador to Bangladesh; Lamiya Morshed, SDG coordinator to the chief adviser; and Ishrat Jahan, a director general at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.