Indian foreign secy likely to visit Bangladesh Saturday

Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra is likely to visit Bangladesh on Saturday as part of preparations for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to New Delhi.

"The prime minister will visit India after the Indian elections that will end by the first week of June. So, our PM's visit will take place either in June or the first week of July," a diplomatic source told The Daily Star today.

During his visit, he will be meeting Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud and Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen.

There are a lot of preparations that will be required ahead of the high-level state visit, and Vinay Mohan Kwatra will be discussing all the aspects of the bilateral relationship and the possible MoUs and agreements, the source said.

Bangladesh and India are close allies, having robust economic, political, and cultural ties. India considers Bangladesh a key neighbour to connect the northeast Indian states.

Over the last decade, a number of connectivity projects -- road, water, and railways -- through Bangladesh have been implemented to promote trade, transport, and connectivity.

Sheikh Hasina's visit to India is considered very important to further all aspects of the relationship.