Indian external affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar is coming to Dhaka on Thursday ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit on March 26, marking the 50 years of Bangladesh’s independence and the birth centenary celebration of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
State minister for foreign affairs Md Shahriar Alam on Tuesday said that Jaishankar would meet his counterpart Dr AK Abdul Momen and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in his daylong preparatory visit.
Modi’s sojourn on March 26 and 27 would be his first visit abroad amid Covid-19 pandemic.
Both leaders met virtually during the pandemic with India offering assistance from training to equipment to fight off the Covid-19.
Bangladesh was also one of the first countries in the world to receive the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine from India.
The ideals and values of 1971 Liberation War are the foundation of the bilateral relations since India stood by Bangladesh during the war against Pakistan.
India also recognised Bangladesh as a sovereign nation on December 6, 1971, while the war was ongoing.
The two leaders during the last virtual summit in December gave directives for the future cooperation between the neighbours.
Both sides also signed seven MoUs which are related to socio-economic development of Bangladesh, reopening a rail link after 55 years, releasing of stamp on the Bangabandhu and the Bangabandhu-Bapu digital exhibition gave a new momentum to the bilateral relations in the difficult times of pandemic.
Modi paid rich tributes to Bangabandhu and said, “Mujib Chirantan” – ‘Bangabandhu’s message is eternal’.
He also said Bangladesh is a “major pillar of India’s ‘Neighborhood First’ policy.
Both the countries decided to celebrate the Mujib Borsho, birth centenary of Bangladesh’s founding father together.
Modi also released a stamp in honour of the Bangabandhu, and inaugurated a digital exhibition on Bapu (Mahatma Gandhi) and Bangabandhu with his Bangladesh counterpart.
Prime Minister Hasina paid rich tributes to members of the Indian armed forces martyred in the 1971 Liberation War and the government and people of India who extended their whole-hearted support to the cause of Bangladesh’s independence.
Walking down the memory lane, she recalled December 17 in 1971 when Col Ashok Tara of India, who was then a major, made her and her son, mother, sister and brother free from captivity after the December 16 Victory.
During the upcoming visit on March 26, both sides will also witness the signing of new deals and starting the operation of a new trans-border passenger train service from Dhaka to New Jalpaiguri Rail Junction in India on the Chilahati-Haldibari route.
