Staff Reporter :
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina leaves Dhaka for New Delhi today (Friday) morning on a four-day official visit at the invitation of her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.
A VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, carrying the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her entourage, will leave Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at about 10am. The flight is scheduled to reach Air Force Station, Palam, New Delhi at 12 noon (local time) today. She is scheduled to return home on Monday.
India is preparing to give Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina a “civic reception” on the last day of her visit.
Indian Minister of State, for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Babul Supriyo and Bangladesh High Commissioner in New Delhi Syed Muazzem Ali will receive Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the airport.
Some crucial deals are expected to be signed with neighbouring India during the visit. This visit will take place more than 7 years after Hasina’s last visit to India in January 2010 and almost 2 years after Modi’s visit to Bangladesh in June 2015.
Entire gamut of bilateral relations would be discussed during Hasina’s visit, where a 40-member high-profile delegation would accompany her. Several Ministers, Secretaries, officials of the Prime Minister’s office, senior journalists and businessmen are included in the entourage.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will hold official talks with her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on April 8. She and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi are scheduled to hold bilateral talks at Hyderabad House in the Indian capital.
Aside from the events, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina would also meet Indian President, Vice President, Foreign Minister and Indian National Congress Chairperson.
Different political parties including Bangladesh Nationalist Party warned that the country’s people will not accept any deal against the country’s national interest.
But Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her senior colleagues categorically on several occasions ruled out signing of any agreement against the national interests, saying the ruling Awami League would never compromise with national interests while entering into any deal with any foreign country.
They also clarified the government’s stance on deals with foreign countries, saying they would do everything maintaining the friendly relations.
A total of 35 agreements and Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) are expected to be inked during Hasina’s visit to India.
Such deals would be mainly in the areas of Borderhaat information and broadcasting, nuclear cooperation for peaceful purposes, science and ICT, satellite and space research, geological science, defence cooperation, Indian line of credit, community clinic establishment and energy sector cooperation.
Besides, the two premiers are scheduled to formally open cargo rail movement through Birol-Radhikapur route, direct passenger bus and train movement between Khulna and Kolkata, and imports of 60-mw additional electricity from Palatana Power Plant in India’s Tripura State.
The issues relating to the Teesta Water Sharing Agreement, Ganges Barrage and killing of Bangladeshis along the border by the Indian Border Security Force will also be discussed during the visit.
Besides, a five-year MoU on defence cooperation and four other related documents are there on the list which are ready for signing between the two countries, Diplomatic sources said.
Sheikh Hasina will also hand over token ‘war of independence award’ to the families of seven Indian armed forces members who sacrificed their lives during the Bangladesh’s War of Liberation in 1971. So far 1661 such Indian martyrs were identified and all of them would get recognition and award from Dhaka.
Earlier at a press conference Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali urged all quarters not to be misguided by speculations and rumours on a potential Dhaka-Delhi defence pact and said ‘time will make it clear to you all’ very shortly.
After reaching New Delhi, Bangladesh’s Prime Minister will then be taken to the Rashtrapati Bhavan where she will be staying during the visit.
In the afternoon, Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will call on Sheikh Hasina at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Later, she will attend a reception at Bangladesh High Commission at Chanakyapuri and have her dinner there.
On Saturday morning, Sheikh Hasina will attend the ceremonial reception by her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi at the Forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan.
After the reception, she will go to Rajghat to pay respect to Mahatma Gandhi through laying wreaths at the Memorial for Mahatma Gandhi. Commerce Secretary Rajghat Samadhi will receive her there. She will observe a one-minute silence and sign the visitors’ book.
The Prime Minister will go to Hyderabad House at 11:30 am (local time) to hold a tete-a-tete talk at Deccan Suite with Narendra Modi and bilateral delegation-level talks at the Conference Room of the Hyderabad House.
After the meeting, the Prime Minister will release the Hindi translation of Bangabandhu’s ‘The Unfinished Memoirs’. The programme will be held at the Ball Room of the Hyderabad House.
Later, the two Prime Ministers will attend joint press statements.
Sheikh Hasina will attend Bangladesh banquet to be hosted by the Indian Prime Minister at the Banquet Hall of the Hyderabad House.
In the afternoon of the same day, Bangladesh Prime Minister will attend the Sommanona programme at Manekshaw Center to honour the war heroes of India who fought for Bangladesh independence in 1971.
In the evening, the Prime Minister will meet Indian Vice-President Mohammad Hamid Ansari at his residence.
On April 9, the Prime Minister will go to Jaipur by Air India Special Flight to perform Jiarah at Ajmer Sharif. In the evening, Hasina will call on Indian President Pranab Mukherjee at North Drawing Room of the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
She will witness a cultural programme at Ashoka Hall of the Rashtrapati Bhavan and attend dinner hosted by the Indian President at Banquet Hall.
On Monday morning, Sheikh Hasina will attend a business event at the Shahjahan Hall of Hotel Taj Palace.
