Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected fly to India tomorrow (Thursday) on a four-day state visit at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Experts and diplomats termed the Prime Minister’s visit as one of the most crucial one. They said, Bangladesh and India enjoy friendly ties. In the recent past some new avenues of opportunities have also opened in new areas of mutual cooperation and development in their relations.
The foreign ministry sources said that the Prime Minister is expected to discuss different issues which still remain unresolved, including the Teesta water-sharing and winning India’s support in Rohingya repatriation. They said Sheikh Hasina is set to discuss with her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi about Bengali speaking ‘people’ excluded from the National Register of Citizens (NRC) expected to figure on the agenda.
Besides, enhancing cooperation on various issues including blue economy, peaceful use of nuclear energy, aerospace research, and cyber security, are expected to be discussed during the two heads of government. The Prime Minister is scheduled to visit India on October 3-6 to attend a program of the World Economic Forum to be held in New Delhi on October 3-4 with the theme 'Innovating for India; Strengthening South Asia, Impacting the World', they said. During the visit, the leaders and officials of the two countries are likely to sign eight Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) in different areas, including connectivity, culture, technical cooperation and trade and investment, the sources said.
They said Bangladesh and India have already signed agreements on security, trade, power, energy, communications, development assistance, environment, education, infrastructure development, culture and health. The Prime Minister is expected to take an advantage in the India Economic Forum to highlight the country’s progress in recent times especially the issue of Bangladesh graduating to a middle income from LDC, they added.
Sheikh Hasina would also seek more investments from the Indian major investors during taking advantages of presence of Indian business giants. The Prime Minister will meet also exchange views with the Indian business platforms like the Chamber of Commerce and Industries during her visit. On Saturday, the two prime ministers are expected to meet at a bilateral meeting that will be held at the historic Hyderabad House in New Delhi from 11.30 to 1:00 pm. Meanwhile, BSS adds;
In the afternoon, Hasina will call on the President of India Ram Nath Kovind while Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar will call on Bangladesh Prime Minister in the morning. Besides, the visiting Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat is likely to call on Sheikh Hasina on Friday while the Bangladesh Premier is likely to meet India Congress Party Chief Sonia Gandhi on Sunday.
Indian’s eminent Film Director Shyam Benegal will call on Bangladesh Premier on Sunday when he is likely to discuss different aspects of making the proposed feature film on the life and works of Father of the Bengali Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibbur Rahman. Bangladesh and India joint-production film on Bangabandhu will be released before the end of “Mujib Year 2020-2021”.