Nepal asks Bangladesh to provide fertilizer

 Though the harvest season has almost come to an end, Nepal has asked Bangladesh to provide urea fertilizer on refundable basis.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli while talking on telephone with the Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina this afternoon sought Bangladesh’s support of 50,000 tonnes of urea fertilizer to Nepal on refundable basis, according to a press note issued by the Foreign Ministry.

Prime Minister Hasina positively took the request of Prime Minister Oli for supply of fertilizer to Nepal for this crop season, the press note reads. “Prime Minister Oli congratulated Prime Minister Hasina on Bangladesh’s success in becoming a food-surplus country,” the press note reads, adding that Nepal can benefit from Bangladesh’s success story in the field of agriculture. PM Oli – while sharing Nepal’s efforts for scaling up agricultural production, both for domestic consumption and export – commended Bangladesh for effectively containing the spread of coronavirus in Nepal.

Congratulating Prime Minister Hasina – on the occasion of the Birth Centenary of Bangbandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman today evening – Prime Minister Oli expressed thanks for the supply of 5,000 vials of Remdesivir injection and other essential medicines and medical logistics to Nepal. 

The two Prime Ministers also exchanged experience on the efforts made by their respective governments to fight against Covid-19 pandemic and agreed to strengthen cooperation to tackle this menace, the press note reads, adding that OM Oli also appreciated the steps taken by Bangladesh to contain the pandemic. “The Prime Minister Oli recalled the successful visit of the President of Bangladesh to Nepal last year.”

Recalling the fourth BIMSTEC summit held in Nepal, both the Prime Ministers shared views on enhancing regional cooperation for economic development and prosperity. The two Prime Ministers also exchanged views on various matters of common interests, including cooperation in power generation, grid connectivity and power supply from Nepal to Bangladesh, promotion of barrier-free and balanced trade between the two countries, improved transit facility for Nepal through Bangladesh, enhanced connectivity, promotion of tourism. “Prime Minister Oli thanked his Bangladeshi counterpart for providing a new railway route through Rohanpur (Bangladesh) to Singabad (India) railway line,” reads the press note.