Indian President due Wednesday on 3-day state visit

Indian president Ram Nath Kovind is scheduled to arrive Dhaka on Wednesday on a three-day state visit as a “unique example” of the existing good relations between the two neighbouring countries.

At the invitation of his Bangladesh counterpart Abdul Hamid, the Indian president will be here to attend the 50th Victory Day celebrations of Bangladesh, the closing ceremony of the birth centenary of Bangladesh’s founding father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and 50 years of Bangladesh-India diplomatic relations.

President Kovind will present a T-55 tank and a MiG-29 fighter jet used during the Liberation War of Bangladesh to the president for preservation and display at the Bangladesh National Museum.

The First Lady of India, the daughter of the Indian president, minister of state for education, two Members of Parliament, Indian foreign secretary and other high-ranking officials from various departments will be accompanying the Indian president, said foreign minister AK Abdul Momen at a virtual media briefing. Foreign secretary Masud Bin Momen was, among others, present.

“India is a neighbour of Bangladesh and a true friend. The Bangladesh-India relations are not just about borders. The unwavering support of this friendly country in the great War of Independence of Bangladesh in 1971 laid the foundation of good relations between the two countries,” Momen said.

Connecting virtually from Turkey, he said Bangladesh-India bilateral relations have become stronger and more dynamic under the strong leadership of the prime minister, the worthy daughter of Bangabandhu.

President Hamid will welcome his Indian counterpart at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

President Kovind will be given a guard of honour at the airport. He will then pay homage to the martyrs of the great Liberation War at the National Mausoleum in Savar.

On the same day, he will visit Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi 32 and pay homage to the memory of the Bangladesh’s founding father.

The Indian side said the visit on the historic occasion is a reflection of the high priority that both countries attach to the bilateral relationship.

“It also reaffirms the shared desire of both countries to further consolidate and strengthen the multifaceted and irreversible partnership, based on historical and cultural ties, mutual trust and understanding,” said the Indian ministry of external affairs.

On Wednesday, the Indian president will hold a delegation-level meeting with president Hamid on Wednesday. After that, the Indian president will attend a banquet to be hosted by president Hamid.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina will also have a meeting with the Indian president on the same day. Foreign minister AK Abdul Momen will also call on him.

On the third day of his visit on Friday, the president of India will inaugurate and inspect the newly renovated section of the “Kali Mondir” at Ramna.

He expressed interest in exchanging views with the members of the relevant committee of the temple.

The Indian president will leave Dhaka for Delhi on Friday noon.

Earlier, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi had paid a state visit to Bangladesh from 26 to 27 March, 2021 to join the celebrations of the golden jubilee of the independence of Bangladesh, the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and 50 years of establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Bangladesh.

Momen said such a high-level visit between Bangladesh and India in 2021 will be mentioned in gold letters as a milestone chapter in the existing relations between the two countries.