Bangladesh and Sri Lankan delegation members on Saturday began bilateral talks at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in the capital.

Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina and the visiting Sri Lankan PM Mahinda Rajapaksa are leading their respective sides at the talks.

Prior to formal talks, the two leaders also held a tête-à-tête for some time, Bangladeshi news agency Dhaka Tribune said.

PM Hasina has accepted an invitation extended by her Sri Lankan counterpart to visit Sri Lanka in 2022 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of formal diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Both leaders meanwhile agreed that more direct flights between the two countries would help boost tourism and trade.

They also pledged to work together on counterterrorism and combatting drug smuggling and human trafficking.

The envoys have agreed that closer cooperation in the tourism sector would benefit both countries.

Reportedly, Bangladesh has sought Sri Lanka’s assistance in training nurses as well as in developing aquaculture and deep-sea fishing.

PM Hasina stated that Bangladesh is delighted to share its own experiences with Sri Lanka in agriculture, especially on rice varieties and freshwater fisheries.

Earlier, on arrival at the Sri Lankan premier at the Prime Minister’s Office, PM Rajapaksa was received by his Bangladeshi counterpart at the Tiger Gate.

A number of memorandums of understanding (MoUs) are expected to be signed following the talks.

Premier Rajapaksa arrived in Dhaka on Friday morning on a two-day bilateral visit to join the celebration of the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the golden jubilee of the country’s independence.

-with inputs from agencies