The Foreign Minister (FM) of India Sushma Swaraj has arrived in Dhaka on a two-day official visit.
FM AH Mahmood Ali received her at the Bangabandhu Air Base as her special flight landed in Dhaka around 1:45pm on Sunday.
During her stay in Dhaka, she is expected to call on her Bangladesh counterpart and take stock of the whole range of bilateral relations with the neighbouring country.
The visit is a pre-planned one aimed at the annual ‘India-Bangladesh Joint Consultative Commission’ meeting of the two FMs.
Sources in the Indian High Commission said Sushma’s visit is expected “to be an opportunity for review of the excellent bilateral relations between India and Bangladesh and further strengthening of these ties.”
According to a local agency, officials with the knowledge of the Joint Commission said the two ministers would follow-up the decisions taken during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s India visit.
The two ministers’ bilateral meeting is scheduled to take place at Pan Pacific Sonargoan Hotel, where the visiting Indian External Affairs Minister will stay.
Sushma will also meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Ganabhaban after the joint commission meeting.
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Raushan Ershad are also scheduled to meet the Indian leader.
Prior to her departure on Monday afternoon, she is expected to unveil 15 India-funded development projects – covering sectors like education, healthcare, IT, water supply and social welfare.
The Indian minister will also interact with the representatives of leading Bangladeshi think-tanks, chambers of commerce and industry and cultural organisations, the bdnews24.com report added.
It can be mentioned here that Indian PM Narendra Modi earlier announced $4.5 billion line of credit (LoC) for Bangladesh – bringing its funding to more than $8 billion over the past six years.
An additional sum of $500 million LoC has also been mooted for the defence purchase based on Dhaka’s needs and priorities.