Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Bangladesh on March 26 and 27 to attend the celebrations to mark the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and 50 years of the war of liberation of Bangladesh, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday. The visit, which is the first foreign trip by Prime Minister Modi since the outbreak of the pandemic, is noteworthy as he is scheduled to travel outside Dhaka and visit Orakandi, which is sacred to the Matua community of West Bengal.
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“This visit is in connection with the commemoration of three epochal events — Mujib Borsho, birth centenary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, 50 years of the establishment of diplomatic ties between India and Bangladesh; and 50 years of Bangladesh’s war of liberation. The Prime Minister had last visited Bangladesh in 2015,” said an official press release.
Prime Minister Modi will be the Guest of Honour during the National Day programme on March 26, said the Ministry. He was scheduled to visit Bangladesh in March 2020 for the inaugural events for the “Mujib Borsho” but the visit was cancelled as Dhaka rescheduled the celebrations in view of the pandemic. Mr. Modi and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina held a virtual summit on December 17 during which both sides highlighted plans for greater connectivity.
Mr. Modi will hold talks with Sheikh Hasina and call on President Mohammed Abdul Hamid. Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen will call on him. At a press conference on Monday, Mr. Momen said Mr. Modi will deliver a speech at the National Parade Ground on March 26. The two leaders will jointly inaugurate the Bangabandhu-Bapu digital exhibition later that day.
In a rare gesture, the Indian Prime Minister will travel outside Dhaka. On March 27, he will visit the famous Jeshoreshwari Kali temple in Satkhira and offer prayers at the Matua temple of Orakandhi. The temple at Orakandi is sacred to the Matua community of West Bengal as it is considered to be the place of birth of the Matua gurus. “We are fortunate that the leader of a country is travelling outside our capital. He will pray at Satkhira and also visit Orakandi. Whatever is said about this in West Bengal does not matter to us,” Dr. Momen had said on Monday.
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PTI adds:
India and Bangladesh are likely to sign three MoUs during PM Modi's visit to Dhaka.
The two sides are expected to sign three MoUs, Mr. Momen said.
"These (MoUs) are not final yet," he said.
Foreign Secretary Masud bin Momen said the MoUs were likely to be signed in the field of disaster management and cooperation between some institutions of the two countries.
"We are still working on every MoUs. We will get the final scenario regarding the MoUs within one or two days," he said.
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Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih will be the first top foreign dignitary to arrive in Dhaka on a three-day visit on March 17. He will be followed by Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa who will arrive in Dhaka on a two-day tour on March 19.
Nepalese President Bidya Devi Bhandari will be in Dhaka on a two-day tour from March 22 while Bhutan’s Premier Lotay Tshering will visit Dhaka from March 24 to 25. Prime Minister Modi will arrive in Dhaka on March 26 and return home the next day.
Mr. Momen said Chinese President Xi Jinping, French President Emmanuel Macron, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Canadian Premier Justin Trudeau and some high-level leaders of different countries and international organisations would send video messages on the occasion.
