India and Bangladesh Friday agreed to take the lead in fostering closer cooperation in South Asia, while acknowledging the importance of economic cooperation and improved connectivity between the two countries.
According to an official statement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded visiting Bangladesh President M. Abdul Hamid's contribution to his country's war of liberation, terming it a "privilege to welcome a "Mukti jodha" (freedom fighter) in the week when Bangladesh celebrates its birth as a free nation.
Responding to an official invitation for a state visit, he said he would look forward to an early visit to Bangladesh.