PM leaves for Delhi today on 2-day visit

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to leave Dhaka for New Delhi today on a two-day visit aimed at advancing the bilateral relationship following the general elections in both countries this year.

During the state visit, Bangladesh and India are likely to sign about a dozen agreements, memorandums of understanding and letters of intent in the areas of economy, power, port, railway, and digital technology.

Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi may also discuss the key issues on the Teesta management project, renewal of the Ganges water sharing treaty, trade and tariff, Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), Myanmar conflict and regional and sub-regional cooperation.

“This visit will give a vision for the bilateral relationship in the years ahead as well as how the two countries can work together amid new global geopolitical shift,” said a foreign ministry official informed with the proceedings.

This will be Hasina’s second trip to the Indian capital in less than 15 days. She attended Modi’s swearing-in ceremony on June 9.

Hasina’s visit, which is the first by any foreign head of government to India after the formation of the new government, takes place before her scheduled trip to Beijing on July 9-12.

Hasan Mahmud, foreign minister; Salman F Rahman, prime minister’s adviser on private industry and investment; Ahsanul Islam Titu, the state minister for commerce; Zunaid Ahmed Palak, the state minister for posts, telecommunications and information technology; Abdur Rouf Talukder, Bangladesh Bank governor; Lt Gen Mizanur Rahman Shameem; Armed Forces Division principal staff officer; secretaries of Power Division, Economic Relations Division and railway ministry will accompany Hasina.

“The presence of the ministers and officials indicates the type of deals that might be signed during the visit,” said a diplomatic source in New Delhi.

Hasina will depart Dhaka for New Delhi on a chartered flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines at 2:00pm and reach the Indian capital at 4:00pm.

S Jaishankar, India’s minister of external affairs, will call on Hasina at her place of residence in the evening.

On Saturday morning, Modi will host a reception at the Rashtrapati Bhavan for Hasina. After that, she will go to Raj Ghat to pay tribute to the father of the Indian Nation Mahatma Gandhi by placing a wreath at his Samadhi.

Later, Hasina will hold a one-to-one meeting with Modi followed by delegation-level talks at the Hyderabad House.

The two leaders will witness the signing of the MoU and agreements and then deliver press statements.

Hasina will then attend a banquet luncheon hosted by Modi.

In the afternoon, she will call on Indian President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar at his Secretariat.

She will depart New Delhi for Dhaka at 6:00pm. The premier is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka at 9:00pm tomorrow.