B'desh PM Hasina to visit India from Apr. 7-10

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will pay a four-day state visit to India from April 7 to 10 following an invitation extended by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The trip will include official talks between the two leaders in New Delhi on April 8.

Dhaka Tribune quoted the official statement as saying that the upcoming visit is expected to "further expand the cordial and cooperative relationship" between India and Bangladesh and "build on the strong ties of friendship and trust between the two leaders".

Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Harsh Vardhan Shringla yesterday said that Bangladesh Prime Minister Hasina's visit to India is of high importance to his country.

"From the Indian side, we are giving the highest importance to the honourable Prime Minister's visit to India," the Indian envoy told the reporters after a meeting with Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque.

He said that Hasina has been invited by Prime Minister Modi to stay at the Rashtrapati Bhawan, where usually no head of state gets the opportunity to stay.

Shringla said this visit is very important in many aspects for both the countries as the two neighbouring countries have demonstrated cooperation in settling land and maritime boundaries within a short period of time under the leadership of both Hasina and Modi.

India's Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar last month had called Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and briefed her on the recent developments in India-Bangladesh relations.

He had also discussed preparatory aspects of the proposed visit of Prime Minister Hasina to India at the invitation of Prime Minister Modi.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had paid a state visit to Bangladesh on June 6-7, 2015.

During the visit, 22 bilateral documents were concluded, including the exchange of instrument of ratification for India-Bangladesh Land Boundary Agreement (LBA).

Hasina had recently visited India on October 16-17 last year to participate in the BRICS-BIMSTEC Outreach.

She had also met Prime Minister Modi on the sidelines of the Summit.