PM Modi's Bangladesh visit highlights how important the country is for us, says Doraiswami

Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram K Doraiswami said that Bangladesh is one of India's most important neighbours and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi visit to the country highlights the same.

Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram K Doraiswami has said that Bangladesh is one of India's most important neighbours. He further said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bangladesh highlights the same. Speaking to ANI, he said, "The PM's visit is intended to signal that we have travelled together for 50 years and we need to look ahead for another 50, which would be about more joint ventures, trade and investment”.

He further said, “The criticality of Bangladesh is that it is one of our most important neighbours, one of our most important relationships is clearly flagged by the Prime Minister who chose to come here despite continuing pandemic”. Ahead of the visit, the Indian Prime Minister put out an official statement in which he expressed pleasure over his visit to the neighbouring country. "I am happy that my first official visit after the outbreak of the pandemic will be to our neighbouring country with which India shares deep cultural, linguistic and people to people ties”.

The Indian commissioner to Bangladesh termed Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as a hero for Indians. He said, “As mentioned by our prime minister Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is a hero for Indians too. It is a matter of commemoration together. In Bangladesh the celebration of the birth of Bangabandhu and 50 years of our bilateral relationship, there is so much common, therefore it is a joint celebration. Joint celebration is trying to showcase the importance we place to this piece of history as the bedrock of our relationship”.

Guest of honour at 50th Independence Day

Bangladesh is celebrating its 50th year of Independence on March 26 this year, and PM Modi is going to grace the occasion as the guest of honour. Besides PM Modi, the heads of state and government from Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and the Maldives will also be present at the celebration. The invitation for the same was extended to PM Modi last year, as per the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh who back then had said, "We would love to see Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi join the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of our Independence”.

PM Modi was to visit Bangladesh last year as well to participate in the Mujib centenary celebration, but the visit was cancelled keeping in mind the COVID-19 pandemic. The PM is also supposed to hold bilateral consultations with PM Hasina, and there are talks of several Memorandum of Understandings to be signed between the heads of the two countries. Apart from this, he will also call on the President of Bangladesh H.E. Md. Abdul Hamid and will be called on by Foreign Minister of Bangladesh Dr A.K. Abdul Momen. This is going to be PM Modi's first trip abroad after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

(Image Credits: PTI)