Modi due on Mar 17, Shringla Mar 2

Indian foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla will reach Dhaka on March 2 on a two-day official visit to lay grounds for a visit of Indian prime minister Narendra Modi on the 17th of that month.

Modi is expected pay the visit to attend a public ceremony organised by Bangladesh government marking the birth centenary of the country’s founding president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, officials said.

Modi is also likely to hold a meeting with his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina on March 18.

The Indian foreign secretary, after his arrival on March 2, will hold a bilateral talk with his Bangladesh counterpart Masud Bin Momen.

The two sides are expected to discuss bilateral matters, including trade, sharing of water of common rivers and border killings by the Indian Border Security Force, diplomatic sources said.

The Indian side is likely to make a push for exporting defence articles to Bangladesh among other issues, according to Indian diplomatic sources.

Shringla will also pay calls to prime minister Sheikh Hasina and foreign minister AK Abdul Momen and will present a speech at a seminar on Bangladesh-India relations on March 2.

Shringla, who was the immediate past Indian high commissioner to Bangladesh, will leave Dhaka on March 3.

An Indian team visited Dhaka early this month to finalise security and logistics arrangements for Modi’s next visit to Dhaka.

Modi last visited Dhaka in 2015.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net