DHAKA: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a red carpet welcome upon arrival at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on Saturday morning on his maiden visit.
A special aircraft of India Air Force, carrying the Indian prime minister and members of his entourage landed at the airport here at 10:10am.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina welcomed her Indian counterpart at the VIP Terminal of the airport, while a child presented a bouquet to him.
Modi is leading a 80-member delegation.
A smartly turned out contingent drawn from the three services presented a guard of honour and state salute to Indian prime minister.
Modi inspected the guard and took the salute. National anthems of the two countries were played on the occasion.
Ahead of Modi and Mamata’s visit, big hoardings carrying photographs of Modi besides life-size cutouts of him, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee were seen in the different streets in the city.
Billboards, carrying photographs of the then Indian rime Minister Indira Gandhi and father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who were inking an agreement in 1974 to settle the border issue, have been pasted in various key areas of the city as signing of the land boundary agreement (LBA) between the two countries would be a focal point of the visit.
Large images of Gandhi and Mujib could be seen on the streets as a symbol of an age-old relationship between the two countries and India’s role in the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971.
Earlier this month, the Indian Parliament had passed a historic constitution amendment bill seeking to settle India’s 41-year-old border issue with Bangladesh.
The bill will operationalise the India-Bangladesh Land Boundary agreement that provides for exchange of 161 enclaves between the two countries.
The two sides will sign a pact to implement the historic agreement in presence of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
In Delhi, Indian foreign secretary S Jaishankankar said Modi’s visit would be historic and the wrapping up the land boundary agreement will be the central point of discussion. Both countries are also looking to step up security, defense and economic ties.
BDST: 1044 HRS, JUN 6, 2015
RS/SMS
