President Ram Nath Kovind said on Wednesday that Bangladesh has a "special place" in India's ‘Neighbourhood First' policy as he met the country's top leadership on the first day of his three-day maiden State Visit here, further expanding bilateral ties based on sovereignty, equality, trust and understanding that transcend even a strategic partnership. President Kovind, who arrived here earlier in the day at the invitation of his counterpart M Abdul Hamid to attend the golden jubilee celebrations of Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan in 1971, held delegation-level talks with him which was followed by a banquet. "President Kovind @rashtrapatibhvn welcomed by Bangladesh President HE Md. Abdul Hamid for their bilateral meeting at Bangabhaban. Further expanding bilateral ties based on sovereignty, equality, trust and understanding that transcend even a strategic partnership,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted. During his meeting his Hamid, President Kovind "reiterated that Bangladesh has a special place in India's ‘neighbourhood first' policy" and said that India's development partnership with Bangladesh is one of the most comprehensive and wide-ranging ones, according to a statement issued by the Indian President's office. "At the same time, our relationship is mature enough to handle the most complex of problems,” he said. Speaking about trade and connectivity, President Kovind said that connectivity forms an important pillar of India-Bangladesh relations. “The two countries have much to gain from their geographical proximity,” he said. Noting that Bangladesh is one of India's largest trade partners, he said that New Delhi looks forward to a more organised and seamless trade between the two countries. He noted that there is a lot of scope in partnering in areas like space, nuclear technology, defence, pharmaceuticals and other advanced science and technology fields. He said that a formal ‘Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement' would give a significant boost to two-way trade. After the delegation-level talks, President Hamid hosted a banquet in his Indian counterpart's honour at Bangabhaban Presidential Palace. Earlier, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called on President Kovind and the two leaders discussed several issues of mutual interest and bilateral cooperation. Both sides reviewed the progress in the multifaceted and comprehensive bilateral ties. The two leaders also recalled the spirit of the 1971 Liberation War and expressed satisfaction at the joint celebration of Maitri Diwas on December 6, Bagchi said. Foreign Minister Dr A.K. Abdul Momen separately called on President Kovind and "apprised him of the excellent progress in bilateral cooperation and of future joint projects, including in the area of connectivity," he said. Briefing the media later in the evening, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said President Kovind's discussion with Prime Minister Hasina was “comprehensive encompassing many areas of our multifaceted relationship, including jointly preserving the legacy of Bangabandhu and 1971 war.” "We are aspirational nations. Today, we have achieved an incredible amount of synergies in terms of connectivity, joint manufacturing and cooperation. We have set the stage for an exponential increase in ties,” he said. Bangladesh premier's press secretary Ihsanul Karim said that President Kovind told Prime Minister Hasina that he was very happy to be part of the celebrations of three mega events - birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Golden Jubilee of Bangladesh's independence and diplomatic relationship between the countries. Hasina described India as a “great friend” and recalled the then Indian government and people's crucial role during Bangladesh's War of Liberation in 1971. "Exchange of visits between the countries even amid the COVID-19 situation is the testimony of warm relationship between the two countries," she said, acknowledging her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi's “historic and successful” Bangladesh tour in March this year when the celebration of the three events were opened. Hasina said after the 1965 India-Pakistan War, when Bangladesh was Pakistan's eastern wing, the commutations between the two countries were snapped in various routes and called for restoring those routes. She expressed satisfaction over the ongoing cooperation in various areas even in the current pandemic situation. Earlier in the day, President Hamid along with his wife Rashida Khanam received President Kovind at Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. He was accorded a red carpet welcome upon his arrival.