Three-nation Business Summit on Jan 15

The first-ever 'Business Summit' involving Bangladesh, India and Pakistan will be held in Dhaka on January 15, an official announcement said yesterday, reports UNB.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the summit in presence of Indian Prime Minister I K Gujral and Pakistan Prime Minister Mohammad Nawaz Sharif.

Leading businessmen of the three countries will also attend the summit. It was earlier scheduled on November 23 but was then postponed.

The announcement said the planned summit is the outcome of the vision of Sheikh Hasina to get together with her counterparts from India and Pakistan along with the leading businessmen of the three countries.

This would send a strong signal from the three governments to their private sectors to come together for assisting governmental efforts aimed at achieving sustained economic development and betterment of the living standards of the peoples.

The Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan will lead strong delegations to the one-day summit.

The summit will have an inaugural session to be chaired by Sheikh Hasina. Two other Prime Ministers will make statements. The leaders of the business delegations will also speak at the inaugural session.

The working sessions to be presided by the Bangladesh Foreign Minister will hold deliberations on subjects like infrastructure, trade and energy.

Both Gujral and Sharif will make separate courtesy calls on President Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed.

I K Gujral, who will arrive in Dhaka on January 14, will meet with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for bilateral talks.

Nawaz Sharif, due to arrive on January 15, will undertake a two-day official visit to Bangladesh following the summit.

He will hold official talks with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.