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Dhaka Friday,  Mar 29, 2024

Modi accorded red carpet reception

EB Report

A red carpet was rolled out as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here this morning on a two-day state visit to Bangladesh at the invitation of his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina.

This is Modi’s maiden visit to Bangladesh after his swearing-in as the 15th prime minister of India on May 26, 2014.

An Indian Air Force jet carrying the Indian Premier and members of his entourage landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at 10:08 am.

A 19-gun salute heralded the arrival of the Indian Prime Minister when he alighted from the Indian Ai Force jet (K-5012) named “Rajdoot” at 10.25 am.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina received Narendra Modi near the VVIP Tarmac of the airport, while a tiny tot presented him a bouquet.

Accompanied by the Bangladesh Prime Minister, Narendra Modi proceeded towards the makeshift “Saluting Dais” set up near the VVIP Tarmac of the airport.

A smartly turned out contingent drawn from Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force gave a guard of honour and state salute to Modi.

Accompanied by Sheikh Hasina, he took the salute from the decorated dais. The national anthems of the two countries were played on the occasion.

Later, the Indian Prime Minister inspected the guard.

Thereafter, the Bangladesh Prime Minister introduced her cabinet colleagues and other dignitaries to the Indian Premier at the presentation line. The Indian Prime Minister also introduced his entourage members to Sheikh Hasina.

Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, Agriculture Minister Begum Matia Chowdhury, Health Minister Mohammad Nasim, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, Law Minister Anisul Haque, PM’s Foreign Affairs Advisor Dr Gowher Rizvi, PM’s Economic Affairs Advisor Dr Moshiur Rahman, PM’s Media Advisor Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md. Shahriar Alam were also present at the airport to welcome the Indian Prime Minister.

Besides, Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, PM’s Principal Secretary Md Abul Kalam Azad, Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque, the chiefs of three services, the dean of the diplomatic corps, the Bangladesh High Commissioner to India, the Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, the PM’s Press Secretary and high civil and military officials were present.

After the airport ceremony, the Indian Premier left for the National Memorial in suburban Savar to pay tributes to the 1971 Liberation War martyrs by placing wreaths.

According to the schedule chalked up for Modi’s visit, the Indian Premier will then visit Bangabandhu Museum at Dhanmondi to pay homage to the memory of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Modi would stay at Sonargaon Hotel, and on his return from the museum, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali will call on him at his hotel suite in the afternoon.

The Indian Premier would then join the flagging off ceremony of Kolkata-Agartala and Dhaka-Shillong-Guwahati bus services at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and then the two prime ministers will meet when India’s West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee will also join them ahead of the bilateral summit.

Ahead of the formal talks between the two premiers, Sheikh Hasina and Modi will have a tete-a-tete for 25 minutes.

The one-to-one meeting will be followed by handing over of a CD of Bangabandhu’s Kolkata speech on February 6, 1972 and the transcript of Indian parliamentary sessions regarding amendments to the constitution for Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) by Modi.

Sheikh Hasina will present her counterpart the official photograph on the surrendering ceremony of Pakistani troops on December 16, 1971.

The two leaders will then join the summit along with their respective delegation members at the PMO when the meeting is expected to continue for an hour. Then the two leaders will give a joint press statement.

Later in the evening, the Indian premier will attend a cultural programme at Hotel Sonargaon ahead of joining a banquet to be hosted by his counterpart there.

Modi would begin the second day of Dhaka tour visiting Dhakeshwari National Temple and Ramkrishna Mission in the old part of Dhaka and then join a function at new Chancery Complex of Indian High Commission at Baridhara here.

The Indian premier will call on President Abdul Hamid around 12:40 pm at Bangabhaban and join a lunch to be hosted in his honour at the presidential palace. He will receive “Bangladesh Liberation War Honour” from the President for India’s former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Begum Raushan Ershad will call on the Indian premier at 3.10 pm.

Quoting the Indian external affairs secretary, our New Delhi correspondent said that former Bangladesh prime minister and BNP chief Begum Khaleda Zia, leaders of different political parties and business delegation are scheduled to call on Modi at his hotel suite during his 36-hour Dhaka trip.

The Indian premier will wrap up his two-day tour delivering a public lecture at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) to be organized by Indian High Commission at 6.30 pm.

Sheikh Hasina will see him off at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on the evening of Sunday.

Meanwhile, Dhaka city wore a festive look marking the visit of the Indian Prime Minister. City streets and road islands have been decorated with the national flags of Bangladesh and India and large size portraits of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Indian Premier Narendra Modi.

Besides, banners and placards welcoming Narendra Modi have been put on display on road sides, over bridges and important crossings.

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