Shringla to visit Dhaka before Narendra Modi’s visit

The newly-appointed Indian foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla will visit Dhaka in the first week of March to prepare ground for prime minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bangladesh, reports BSS.

Modi is set to visit Bangladesh to attend the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to be held in Dhaka on 17 March.

Shringla unveiled his plan of Dhaka visit when Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Muhammad Imran met with him at his office on Friday, according to a statement issued by Bangladesh mission in New Delhi.

During the meeting, they discussed various issues, including the bilateral relations existing between the two friendly neighbouring countries.

Referring to Modi’s upcoming Dhaka visit, Shringla said that India wants to see the impending visit of Modi to become mutually beneficial to both the countries.

He also noted the importance India attaches on the relationship with Bangladesh as its immediate neighbour.

Expressing satisfaction over the excellent bilateral relations, Shringla stressed that the two countries can further promote ties in areas like defence cooperation, trade and people to people contact.

The Bangladesh envoy appreciated Shringla’s role in consolidating the bilateral relations between the two countries during his tenure as the High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh.

He particularly noted his endeavour in easing visa issuance system, which contributed to huge movement of people between the two countries.

Shringla served as the High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh from 2015-2018 and also served as the Head of the Territorial Wing of Bangladesh-Myanmar (BM) Division of the Ministry of External Affairs, India.

Rokebul Haque, Deputy High Commissioner of the Mission, accompanied the envoy during the meeting, the statement added.