Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with the opposition leaders from various political parties of Bangladesh on the first day of his two-day visit to the neighbouring country. He also met the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh AK Abdul Momen on Friday.

“The engagement (with opposition leaders) involved discussions on a wide gamut of issues pertaining to the two countries’ bilateral relations,” said an official release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs.

Momen called on the Indian PM and both leaders reflected on deepening the fraternal ties and strengthening the all-encompassing partnership based on sovereignty, equality and trust, the release added.

First trip post Covid

The ongoing Bangladesh visit is the PM’s first foreign tour after the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Eminent young achievers from different walks of life also interacted with the PM on Friday.

Modi was welcomed by the Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina on his arrival and both are scheduled to meet for a bilateral talk on Saturday.

Likely MoUs

“I will be having substantive discussions with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, following our very productive virtual meeting in December last year,” the PM said. The two countries are likely to sign over five MoUs during the visit, including in areas such as disaster management and trade, as well as co-operation between identified institutes.

The Indian PM’s visit to Bangladesh is on account of three big events – Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s Centenary birth celebrations, 50 years of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Bangladesh and India, and 50 years of the Bangladesh liberation war.

To mark the 50th Independence Day of Bangladesh, Modi paid tributes at the National Martyr’s Memorial in Savar on Friday.

“At Savar, PM Modi planted an Arjuna Tree sapling. This sapling has been planted as a mark of respect for the valorous martyrs of Bangladesh,” the PMO tweeted.

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