Agriculture Minister Md Abdus Shahid has sought India's cooperation in keeping high-yielding varieties of seeds out of the purview of restrictions so that those can be produced and cultivated in Bangladesh.

The minister made the call when Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma met him at Bangladesh Secretariat yesterday.

Shahid urged India not to impose any ban on the export of agricultural products so that prices of essential commodities can be kept affordable in Bangladesh during Ramadan.

He also sought India's cooperation regarding use of solar power for irrigation, said a ministry press release.

Verma said the bans were sometimes imposed to tackle price spikes in their own markets due to supply crunches. However, Bangladesh is often accorded special exemptions from those bans, he added.

Both sides stressed on bilaterally strengthening agricultural research and identifying priority sectors for it through high-level visits by experts soon.

Verma expressed interest in assisting Bangladesh in adopting modern technology, especially the use of drones, in agriculture, agro-processing, post-harvest management and establishment of cold storages.