Nepal’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Bala Nanda Sharma, called on newly elected Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on February 17, extending warm congratulations on his electoral victory and conveying a message from Nepal’s Prime Minister Sushila Karki.
During the meeting in Dhaka, Minister Sharma handed over a congratulatory message from Prime Minister Karki, who expressed her commitment to strengthening Nepal-Bangladesh relations based on mutual respect, shared commitment, and partnership. She emphasized continued cooperation for the mutual benefit of both countries and their peoples.
Minister Sharma also congratulated Prime Minister Rahman for leading the Bangladesh Nationalist Party to a decisive victory in the February 12 national elections. He commended the Government of Bangladesh for the successful conduct of the polls and the smooth democratic transition.
According to the Foreign Ministry, Prime Minister Rahman thanked the Nepali Foreign Minister for attending the oath-taking ceremony, noting that the visit reflected the solidarity and goodwill of the Government and people of Nepal toward Bangladesh. He also extended his best wishes for Nepal’s upcoming parliamentary elections.
The two leaders reaffirmed their shared commitment to further deepening bilateral cooperation, particularly in trade, investment, energy, connectivity, education, and tourism.
Earlier, Minister Sharma attended the oath-taking ceremony of the new Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, where President Mohammed Shahabuddin administered the oath at the National Parliament (Jatiya Sangsad) in Dhaka.
During his visit, Minister Sharma also met with the Leader of the Opposition and Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Dr. Shafiqur Rahman, to discuss key areas of bilateral cooperation.
Moreover, Minister for Foreign Affairs Sharma also congratulated Dr. Khalilur Rahman on his appointment as the Foreign Minister of the Government of Bangladesh during a meeting held in Dhaka on February 19. During the meeting, the two Foreign Ministers reviewed the longstanding relationship between Nepal and Bangladesh, which they noted is anchored in good neighbourliness, shared aspirations, and deep cultural connections. The discussions focused on further strengthening bilateral ties, particularly in the economic sphere. Both sides underscored the significant untapped potential in areas such as trade, energy, connectivity, and tourism. They agreed to enhance cooperation across bilateral, regional, and multilateral platforms to advance the shared interests of their countries and peoples. The meeting was attended by Bangladesh’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam, Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam, and Director General Israt Jahan.
Minister Sharma was accompanied by Ambassador Ghanshyam Bhandari, Joint Secretary Gahendra Rajbhandari, Deputy Chief of Mission Lalita Silwal, and Under Secretary Madhusudan Bhattarai.
