India is currently hosting ten officials from the Bangladesh Land Port Authority as part of a specialised training program under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme (ITEC). The training, titled "Engineering Excellence: From Blueprint to Border," emphasises master planning for smart, green, and resilient land ports and is organised by the Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI).

On October 20, a send-off ceremony was held by the High Commission of India in Bangladesh, where Deputy High Commissioner Pawan Badhe interacted with the officials prior to their departure.

In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), the High Commission noted, "Ten officials from the Bangladesh Land Port Authority are traveling to India to participate in a training program under the ITEC. DHC Pawan Badhe engaged with the Bangladesh officials during the send-off ceremony organised by @ihcdhaka on October 20."

The ITEC program has been instrumental in strengthening bilateral relations between India and Bangladesh. Over the past five years, India has trained nearly 3,000 young Bangladeshi officials in various fields, including accounts, audit, good governance, management, IT, data analytics, and renewable energy.

Another post on X highlighted, "Under #ITEC, over the last five years, close to 3,000 young officials have received training in diverse disciplines at India's premier institutes."

The partnership between India and Bangladesh is built on shared history, language, and culture, evolving into a robust model of cooperation in the region and beyond. Bangladesh stands as India’s largest trading partner in South Asia, while India is Bangladesh's second-largest trading partner in Asia. Official reports indicate that bilateral trade surged nearly 44% in the fiscal year 2021-2022, reaching $18.14 billion. (ET)