Days after the Indian government evacuated 9 Bangladeshi nationals from war-torn Ukraine under its flagship ‘Operation Ganga’, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina wrote to PM Narendra Modi thanking him for the support.
In a letter dated March 15, 2022, Hasina stated, “Excellency, I write to express my sincere thanks to you and your Government for extending support and assistance in rescuing and evacuating some Bangladeshi nationals along with the Indians who were stranded in Sumy Oblast, Ukraine.”
“The wholehearted cooperation that your Government has been extending in this regard is a testament to the unique and enduring relationship that our two countries have been enjoying over the years,” she continued.
The Bangladeshi Prime Minister recalled the State visit of Narendra Modi during the golden jubilee of Bangladesh’s independence and the birth centenary of her father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
“Our bilateral ties have been further consolidated through meaningful engagements at all levels over the past years. I am confident that both Bangladesh and India would continue to stand by each other all the time and work together to realize the collective aspirations of the peoples of the two countries,” she concluded.
147 foreign nationals from 18 countries evacuated under Operation Ganga
On March 15, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar shared the details of Operation Ganga which was launched to evacuate stranded Indian nationals from Ukraine amid the Russia-Ukraine war. “India evacuated 147 foreign nationals from 18 countries during its evacuation mission”, he said in the Rajya Sabha during the Budget Session of the Parliament.
Operation Ganga was launched on February 26 to evacuate nearly 20,000 Indian nationals who were stuck in Ukraine amid the conflict. Several special flights had been running from Poland, Romania, and Hungary to bring the students home.
“47 additional officials of the Ministry of External Affairs were dispatched. Along with our embassy personnel, these officials went to extraordinary lengths to ensure the success of Operation Ganga. Under the operation, 90 flights were operated – 14 of these were Indian Air Force planes. Most private airlines also participated,” S Jaishankar said on March 15.
