Indian external affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has arrived in Dhaka for an official visit when she will take stock of the whole range of bilateral relations with her Bangladesh counterpart AH Mahmood Ali.
Ali received her at Bangabandhu Air Base as her special flight landed at around 1:45 pm on Sunday.
This pre-planned visit is for the annual ‘India-Bangladesh Joint Consultative Commission’ meeting of the two foreign ministers.
But it comes at a time when the decades-old Rohingya refugee crisis took a new turn, with half a million of the Myanmar nationals entering Bangladesh since Aug 25 after fleeing ethnic cleansing in Rakhine state.
Bangladesh has been seeking international support from the refugees, including from India for their safe return to their homes.
The Indian High Commission in Dhaka said the visit is expected “to be an opportunity for review of the excellent bilateral relations between India and Bangladesh and further strengthening of these ties.”
The visit comes soon after the state visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India in April, when both sides signed the record number of deals.
Officials with the knowledge of the Joint Commission said the two ministers would follow-up the decisions taken during the prime minister’s visit during a meeting at Hotel Sonargoan, where the external affairs minister will stay.
Both neighbours consider their ties as “fraternal” relationship because it began with Bangladesh's 1971 Liberation War when the Indian army shed blood alongside Bangladeshis for the country's liberation.
The two prime ministers in April joint statement, after Hasina visit, promised to remain “friends at home; partners in the region and the world”.
Narendra Modi announced $4.5 billion line of credit for Bangladesh, bringing its funding for Bangladesh to more than $8 billion over the past six years.
Additional, $500 million line of credit has been announced for the defence purchase based on Bangladesh’s needs and priorities.
Sushma will also meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Ganabhavan after the joint commission meeting.
Leader of the opposition Raushan Ershad and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia are scheduled to go to the Sonargoan hotel to meet the Indian leader.
Before leaving Dhaka on Monday afternoon, she will inaugurate India-funded 15 development projects, covering sectors such as education, healthcare, IT, water supply and social welfare, from the India’s new chancery premise.
She will also interact with the representatives of leading Bangladeshi think tanks, chambers of commerce and industry and cultural organisations.
Latest News