FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT ON COOPERATION FOR
DEVELOPMENT BETWEEN
GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDIA 
AND 
GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF BANGLADESH

The Government of the Republic of India (hereinafter Government of India) and the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh (hereinafter Government of Bangladesh) 

RECALLING the two countries' shared bonds of history, culture and common values; 

DESIRIOUS of living in peace and harmony with each other and fostering good neighbourly relations based on sovereign equality, non¬interference in each other's internal affairs, and mutual respect and mutual benefit; 

INSPIRED by an abiding faith in and total commitment to democracy, development, pluralism and peaceful co-existence; 

REITERATING their common objective of eradicating poverty, hunger, illiteracy and disease and promoting social justice and inclusive growth with a view to enabling their peoples to realize their potential to the full; 

DESIROUS of promoting trans-border cooperation in the management of shared water resources, hydropower potentials and eco-systems and in the areas of connectivity and trade and economic cooperation; 

CONVINCED that cooperation at the bilateral, sub-regional and regional levels will accelerate development and enable the two countries to realise their developmental aspirations, shared destiny and common vision of a peaceful and prosperous South Asia; 

HAVE AGREED as under: 

ARTICLE 1

To promote trade, investment and economic cooperation, which is balanced, sustainable and builds prosperity in both countries. Both Parties shall take steps to narrow trade imbalances, remove progressively tariff and non-¬tariff barriers and facilitate trade, by road, rail, inland waterways, air and shipping. Both Parties will encourage the development of appropriate infrastructure, use of sea ports, multi-modal transportation and standardization of means of transport for bilateral as well as sub-regional use. 

ARTICLE 2

To enhance cooperation in sharing of the waters of common rivers, both Parties will explore the possibilities of common basin management of common rivers for mutual benefit. The Parties will cooperate in flood forecasting and control. They will cooperate and provide necessary assistance to each other to enhance navigability and accessibility of river routes and ports.

ARTICLE 3

To develop mechanisms for technical cooperation and exchange of advance information with respect to natural disasters. The Parties shall ¬also promote training and capacity building initiatives and cooperation between respective disaster management authorities, with a view to upgrading response mechanism. 

ARTICLE 4

To establish arrangements for cooperation in generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity, including electricity from renewable or other sources. The Parties also agree to use power grid connectivity to promote power exchanges to mutual economic advantage. 

ARTICLE 5

To promote scientific, educational, cultural and people to people exchanges and cooperation between the two countries. These shall be implemented through programmes and joint initiatives in areas such as agriculture, education and culture, health, tourism, sports, science & technology and any other area that the Parties may agree. The Parties shall cooperate by means of exchange of data, scientific knowledge, collaborative research, training, common programmes and in any other manner as may be agreed between the two Parties. 

ARTICLE 6

To develop and implement programmes for environmental protection and responding to the challenges of climate change through adaptation. The Parties shall collaborate on projects of mutual interest to preserve common eco-systems and, as far as practicable, coordinate their response in international fora. 

ARTICLE 7

To harness the advantages of sub-regional cooperation in the power sector, water resources management, physical connectivity, environment and sustainable development for mutual advantage, including jointly developing and financing projects. 

ARTICLE 8

To cooperate closely on issues relating to their national interests. Both parties shall work together to create a peaceful environment conducive for inclusive economic growth and development. 

ARTICLE 9

To cooperate on security issues of concern to each other while fully respecting each other’s sovereignty. Neither party shall allow the use of its territory for activities harmful to the other. 

ARTICLE 10

To establish a Joint Consultative Commission for effective and smooth implementation of this Agreement that shall meet once a year. 

ARTICLE 11

The Agreement may be amended by mutual consent in order to enhance, deepen and widen the scope of cooperation, including regional / sub-regional expansion.

ARTICLE 12

This Agreement shall come into force on the date of its signing by the two Parties and shall remain in force until terminated by mutual consent in accordance with Para 2 of this Article. 

Either Party may seek termination of this Agreement by giving a written notice to the other Party providing the reasons for seeking such termination. Before this Agreement is terminated, the Parties shall consider the relevant circumstances and hold consultations to address the reasons cited by the Party seeking termination in the Joint Consultative Commission. 

Actions taken or agreements reached pursuant to this Agreement shall not be affected by its expiry or termination. 

Done in Dhaka on the Sixth day of September, 2011, in two originals in English Language.

Dr. Manmohan Singh Prime Minister	Sheikh Hasina Prime Minister
Government of the Republic of India	Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh