In an effort to further enhance bilateral ties between the two countries, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will pay a two-day state visit to India starting Friday. She was among the international leaders who attended the swearing-in ceremony of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Council of Ministers on June 09.
Announcing the visit, Ministry of External Affairs(MEA)said here on Thursday she is coming to India at the invitation of Prime Minister Modi. This will be the first incoming bilateral State Visit after the formation of the government in India following the 18th Lok Sabha elections.
During the visit, apart from holding bilateral consultations with the Prime Minister, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to call-on the President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is scheduled to call-on the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
The talks between the two prime ministers are expected to focus on taking the bilateral ties to new heights, sources said. The overall strategic ties between India and Bangladesh have been on an upswing in the last few years.
Bangladesh is an important partner for India under its "Neighbourhood First" policy and the cooperation extends to areas of security, trade, commerce, energy, connectivity, science and technology, defence and maritime affairs among others.
The achievements in the connectivity sector included the inauguration of the Maitri Setu bridge over river Feni in Tripura and the rollout of the Chilahati-Haldibari rail link.
Bangladesh is India's largest development partner with nearly one-fourth of New Delhi's commitment under the Line of Credit has been made to that country.
Moreover, Bangladesh is India's biggest trading partner in South Asia and India is the second biggest trading partner of Bangladesh in Asia.
India is Bangladesh's largest export destination in Asia, with approximately USD 2 billion of Bangladeshi exports to India in 2022-23. In 2022-23, the total bilateral trade has been reported as USD 15.9 billion.
