Former Indian high commissioner to Bangladesh, Pinak Chakravarty, on Saturday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the neighbouring country is extremely crucial as both the countries are at a very important juncture in their relationship.
"I think it is a very important visit. Prime Minister has already visited several neighbouring countries and Bangladesh is the sort of next station where he will go. The Land Boundary Agreement has been done, although the Teesta agreement has not been done. But, I think in future even that will be done," Chakravarty told ANI.
"I think we are at a very important juncture in our relationship and I think that the future looks bright because both countries have realised that bilateral cooperation is the way forward on the whole range of issues, on political, economic, security. So, I think the visit will be successful and everyone is actually looking forward to this visit," he added.
Lauding Prime Minister Modi, Chakravarty said, "It is true that the former government was the one which had put in the nuts and bolts together and finalize the agreement. But, the former government could not develop the political consensus to get the Constitutional Amendment through the Parliament which Mr. Modi has been able to do."
"So, to that extent I think Mr. Modi has been successful than the former prime minister because he could manage the domestic political consensus which was required to get the Constitutional Amendment through the Parliament. So, clearly Mr. Modi has done his home-work well, one can say that and pulled it off. Now, it is time for delivery on this agreement," he added.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi who arrived in Dhaka for his two-day state visit, was received by his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina.
During his visit, Prime Minister Modi will pay tribute to martyrs of the 1971 Liberation War at the National Martyrs' Memorial and visit the Bangabandhu National Museum to pay tribute to Bangladesh's Founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
To promote greater people-to-people ties and connectivity, Prime Minister Modi, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will flag off bus services on the Kolkata-Dhaka-Agartala and the Dhaka-Shillong-Guwahati routes respectively.
Thereafter, all three will witness the exchange of instrument of ratification of the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in Dhaka.
This will be followed by a restricted meeting between both leaders and a handing over documents.
Thereafter, there will be delegation-level talks, a signing of bilateral agreements and a programme to unveil plaques for various grant-in-aid projects.
On Saturday evening, the Prime Minister will attend a state banquet-cum-cultural programme organised in his honour by his Bangladeshi counterpart.
