Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina embarks on a four-day visit to India

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday left Dhaka for a four-day state visit to India to meet the country's top leadership to further cement the multifaceted relationship and ink at least seven bilateral agreements in areas like water management, railway and science and technology.

A VVIP flight of state-run Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the prime minister and her entourage took off from Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. Hasina is expected to land at Palam International Airport in New Delhi in the next two hours, aviation officials said.

“This is a state visit and she (Hasina) is going to Delhi at the invitation of her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi,” Bangladesh foreign minister Dr AK Abdul Momen had told a media briefing on Sunday.

Momen said issues related to security cooperation, investment, enhanced trade relations, power and energy sector cooperation, water sharing of common rivers, water resources management, border management, and combating drug smuggling and human trafficking are likely to get priority during the talks between Hasina and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Momen, who is also accompanying Hasina to India, said the agreements expected to be inked during the visit would be on water management, railway, science and technology, and information and broadcasting.

“After the (signing) ceremony honourable prime ministers of the two countries will issue a joint statement," he said.

The foreign minister said Dhaka expects that the high-level visit would be very successful to “help achieve our goals".

This will be Hasina's first visit to India after three years. She visited India in 2019.

Hasina's delegation comprises Foreign Minister Momen, Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi, Railways Minister Md Nurul Islam Sujan, Liberation War Minister A K M Mozammel Haq and Mashiur AKM Rahman, the economic affairs advisor to the Prime Minister.

The visit will further strengthen the multifaceted relationship between the two countries based on strong historical and cultural ties and mutual trust and understanding, said the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi.

During her visit, Hasina will also call on President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar apart from holding bilateral consultations with her Indian counterpart.\

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