“Don't use onion in food”, Bangladesh PM told her cook post export ban
New Delhi, Oct 4: India's onion export ban seems to have impacted kitchen of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, as she has urged in lighter vein to provide prior information about such decisions.
The Bangladeshi prime minister said that India's sudden decision to stop onion exports has lead to a bit of difficulty for her countrymen.
"I don't know why you stopped onion (exports). So what I did was, I told my cook to not to use onion in food Prior notice of such decisions would help. Suddenly, you stopped and it became a difficulty for us. In future, if you are taking such a decision, prior information would help," she said in a lighter vein.
She was addressing India-Bangladesh Business Forum here, which was organised by industry chambers, including CII and Assocham. Commerce and industry Minister Piyush Goyal was also present at the event.
Last Sunday, India banned exports of onion to increase availability of the commodity in the domestic market and contain spiralling prices. The Centre has also imposed stock limits on both retail and wholsesale traders for onion.
Further talking to enhancing trade and investments between the two countries, she said huge potential exists in Bangladesh for Indian business community in different sectors.
She said that Bangladesh has the most liberal investment policy in South Asia, and it includes protection of foreign investment by law; generous tax holiday; concessionary duty on import of machinery; unrestricted exit policy; full repatriation of dividend and capital on exit, to name a few.
"We are in the process of establishing 100 Special Economic Zones. About a dozen of them are ready with four allotments to three countries. Bangladesh has offered three zones for Indian investors at Mongla, Bheramara and Mirsarai. Substantial investment from Indian investors in these three Indian Economic Zones in Bangladesh would help broaden our exportable base.
"We also want to see trade and investment together where Indian big investors can set up industries in Bangladesh and export the products to the north-eastern states of India and to South-east Asian countries taking advantage of the improved connectivity between us," Hasina said.
The prime minister said that strategic location of Bangladesh provides tremendous potential for being the economic hub of the region.
With India on the west, China on the north and Southeast Asia on the east, Bangladesh is in the middle of a combined market of 4 billion people, she said, adding the volume of bilateral trade has steadily grown during the past years.
"The balance of trade, however, is still largely in India's favour. The volume of trade between two countries is nearly USD 10 billion. In 2018, Bangladesh was India's eighth largest export destination with USD 8.8 billion export and our export to India also crossed USD 1 billion mark for the first time last year. So, the progress is visible, but there is lot of scope for further deepening our relations in the area of trade and investment," she said.
Goyal said that India businesses should grab opportunities in the neighbouring country.
"There are so many areas where businesses of both the countries can increase cooperation. Grab the opportunity that Bangladesh offers," he said.
Further, he said that lot of potential exists in railways also and India is ready to share its expertise in the development of this sector in Bangladesh.
India is looking to increase the frequency of three trains between the two countries, he added.
Bandhan Express, which runs between Kolkata and Khulna once a week, would be increased to twice a week and later four days a week. Similarly, frequency of Maitree express, which runs between Kolkata and Dhaka, would be increased to five day a week from the current four day a week and "my effort will be to make it daily," he said.
"We are looking at making entire railways between the countries a seamless movement for goods and people," he added.
Commenting on the economic relations between the two countries, SAARC Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI) Vikramjit Singh Sahney said that both the countries have huge potential to increase trade and investments.
He said that the line of credit extended by India to Bangladesh should include fertiliser plants also and "there is a need to open more check posts and skill training centres to enhance capacity building".
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‘Self-styled Vishwaguru stands exposed’: Cong's dig at PM over Pak role in US-Iran ceasefire
New Delhi (PTI): Taking a swipe at the government, the Congress on Wednesday said the role played by Pakistan in bringing about the ceasefire between the US and Iran is a “severe setback” to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's “highly personalised diplomacy” and “the self-styled Vishwaguru stands thoroughly exposed”.
The opposition party also said Prime Minister Modi's “cowardice is demonstrated by his silence not only on Israel’s belligerence, but on the completely unacceptable and disgraceful language being used by his good friend in the White House”.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the entire world will cautiously welcome the two-week ceasefire in the West Asia conflict between the US and Israel on the one side and Iran on the other.
“The conflict had begun on February 28th with the targeted assassinations of the topmost echelons of the regime in Iran. These had started just two days after Prime Minister Modi had completed his much-trumpeted visit to Israel, a visit that diminished India’s global stature and standing,” Ramesh claimed.
PM Modi had said nothing about Israel’s "genocide" in Gaza and its aggressively expansionist policies in the occupied West Bank, Ramesh said.
“The role played by Pakistan in bringing about the ceasefire is a severe setback to both the substance and style of Mr Modi’s highly personalised diplomacy,” he said.
The policy to isolate Pakistan for its continuing support to terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and to convince the world that it is a failed state has clearly not succeeded – unlike what Manmohan Singh had accomplished after the Mumbai terror attacks, Ramesh claimed.
That a bankrupt economy dependent entirely on the largesse of external donors and a broken country in so many ways was able to play such a role calls into question Modi’s strategy of engagement and narrative management, he said.
“He (Modi) or his team has also never explained why Op Sindoor was suddenly and abruptly halted on May 10th 2025 - the first announcement of which came from the US Secretary of State and for which the US President has claimed credit almost a hundred times since then,” the Congress leader said.
“There is a palpable sigh of relief everywhere. The External Affairs Minister (S Jaishankar) dismissed Pakistan as a dalal. But now the self-styled Vishwaguru stands thoroughly exposed, his self-declared 56-inch chest shrunk and shrivelled,” Ramesh said.
“His cowardice is demonstrated by his silence not only on Israel’s belligerence, but on the completely unacceptable and disgraceful language being used by his good friend in the White House,” the Congress leader added.
US President Donald Trump pulled back on his threats to launch devastating strikes on Iran late Tuesday, as the US and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire that includes the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump swerved to de-escalate the war less than two hours before the deadline he set for Tehran to capitulate to a deal or face attacks on its bridges and power plants meant to destroy the Iranian civilisation.
Trump made the dramatic announcement on Truth Social on Tuesday evening (US time) even as Democrats called for his removal over unhinged threats to wipe out the Iranian civilisation.
"Based on conversations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, of Pakistan, and wherein they requested that I hold off the destructive force being sent tonight to Iran, subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz," the US President said in a social media post.
Iran's Supreme National Security Council said it has accepted the ceasefire and that it would negotiate with the United States in Pakistan beginning Friday. Neither Iran nor the United States said when the ceasefire would begin, and attacks took place in Israel, Iran and across the Gulf region early Wednesday.
Israel backed the US ceasefire with Iran but the deal doesn't cover fighting against Hezbollah in Lebanon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said early Wednesday.
