Hasan likely to call on Indian PM Modi today

Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud, who is scheduled to arrive in New Delhi on Wednesday night, is expected to call on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi after paying tribute at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial in Rajghat.

Hasan will arrive in the Indian capital around 11:00pm on an Air India flight on a three-day bilateral visit to India at the invitation of his Indian counterpart Dr S Jaishankar.

This will be his first bilateral visit abroad as foreign minister after swearing in the new government in Bangladesh.

"The visit reflects the high importance and priority both countries attach to their bilateral relationship," according to a statement issued by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) here this evening.

During the visit, Foreign Minister Dr Hasan will hold a bilateral meeting with External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar on Wednesday evening when both the leaders will "review the progress in wide-ranging areas of bilateral relations and chart out the agenda for future engagement".

They will also exchange views on sub-regional, regional and multilateral issues of common interest, the MEA statement said.

However, media reports here said the visit, aimed at advancing ties and strategizing future cooperation, reflects a commitment to strengthen the relationship between the two nations.

“The visit will be about building on work done by India and Bangladesh in recent years for trade, economic and energy connectivity, and preparing plans for cooperation in the future," The Hindustan Times reported quoting official sources.

During the visit, a wide range of bilateral and regional issues covering trade and business, energy cooperation, connectivity and security aspects would come up in the discussion of the two foreign ministers.

Besides, Dhaka expects that the long pending Teesta water sharing issue will be discussed during the meeting, Bangladesh foreign ministry spokesperson Seheli Sabrin was quoted as saying recently.

Later, he will attend a dinner to be hosted by External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar in honour of him.

Diplomatic sources, however, said that apart from his bilateral meeting with his Indian counterpart, Hasan will deliver a special lecture at Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) on "Bangladesh- India Relations in the Last Decade" on Thursday morning.

He will also give another lecture at the Foreign Correspondents Club of South Asia (FCC, South Asia) on "Bangladesh-India Relations Today" on Thursday evening.

Besides, he is expected to hold meetings with Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval during his visit.

The minister will leave Delhi for Kolkata on Friday morning where he will attend a programme at the Kolkata Press Club in the afternoon. Later, he will join a reception to be organized by the Deputy High Commission in Kolkata in honour of the minister, diplomatic sources confirmed.

He will leave Kolkata for Dhaka on Friday evening on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight.

/KN/