PM's visit to boost ties with India

As Dhaka and New Delhi began preparatory work for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's upcoming visit to India, diplomats yesterday said her first official visit in seven years would inject new impetus to the bilateral ties between the two countries.

“The visit would also lift bilateral cooperation in politics, economy, defence, trade and investment, culture, and usher in a new chapter of India-Bangladesh relations,” said an Indian diplomat in New Delhi.

Another highly placed diplomatic source in Dhaka told The Daily Star that India was giving highest importance to the Bangladesh PM's visit, which is expected to take place in the first half of April.

Asked about specific dates for the PM's visit, a highly placed source in Dhaka said the visit might happen in between April 8 and 11.

“We are expecting a breakthrough and the outcome of the visit would be extremely beneficial and would have a long-term effect on the bilateral relations,” said the source.

The Indian diplomat, who asked not to be named, said Foreign Secretary Subrahmanyam Jaishankar during his meeting with the Bangladesh PM on Thursday discussed the ensuing visit and issues to be addressed in future.

Hasina and Jaishankar had a one-to-one discussion for over an hour following the about 15-minute meeting in presence of high officials from both the sides, he added.

According to sources at the Prime Minister's Office, the Bangladesh state minister for foreign affairs, the foreign secretary, the Indian high commissioner to Bangladesh and other high officials came out from the meeting around 5:15pm.

A diplomat said Jaishankar conveyed Prime Minister Narenda Modi's message to Hasina.

A highly placed source in New Delhi said a high-profile Indian delegation will fly to Dhaka next month to work out a way for making Hasina's upcoming visit a success.