Hasina expected to visit India in early September
Dhaka, June 24: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to visit India in early September for a bilateral visit at the invitation of her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, her spokesman said on Friday, a day after the Indian envoy here called on her and delivered the official invitation letter for a “substantive summit.”
Indian high commissioner in Dhaka Vikram K. Doraiswami on Thursday handed over a letter from Prime Minister Modi to premier Hasina officially inviting her to visit New Delhi.
“He (envoy) called on her and delivered the letter” late on Thursday, a PMO spokesman said.
Bangladesh Prime Minister’s press secretary Ihsanul Karim said she might visit the Indian capital in early September and there would be a ministerial-level meeting between the two countries days before her visit.
“HC @VDoraiswami called on Hon’ble Prime Minister of Bangladesh, H.E Sheikh Hasina today at Jatiyo Shangsad. A letter from PM @narendramodi was delivered, extending warm greetings, thanking her for gifting mangoes and inviting Hon’ble Prime Minister to visit New Delhi soon,” the Indian High Commission in Dhaka tweeted on Thursday.
“Her Excellency was briefed on preparations for
a substantive summit,” it added.
The press secretary’s remarks on the possible dates of the visit came four days after foreign minister A.K. Abdul Momen said Hasina was expected to visit New Delhi in early September in line with the invitation from her Indian counterpart Mr Modi.
Mr Karim said after receiving the letter from the Indian high commissioner, Hasina proposed joint initiatives to dredge the common rivers for mutual benefit as Bangladesh is crisscrossed by 54 major rivers mostly originating from India.
Bangladesh witnessed major flooding in its northeastern and northern regions this year, killing nearly 50 people.
Mr Karim said the premier expressed concerns over the havoc caused by the recent floods in Assam, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh.