In a significant gesture, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi today set aside protocol and personally received his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina who arrived in New Delhi on a four-day official visit at his invitation.

An Indian Prime Minister usually reserves such a gesture only in exceptional cases, reports our New Delhi Correspondent. 

Earlier, Modi had extended it for a few world leaders like Barrack Obama when he was the US President and the Saudi King.

Hasina thanked Modi for the gesture.

Modi received Hasina with a bouquet on the tarmac of the Palam Air Force Station, where all VVIP flights land and take off, as soon as she stepped on it after coming out of the special Bangladesh Airlines aircraft which flew her from Dhaka at around 12: 15 pm local time.

Modi and Hasina warmly shook hands, exchanged smiles and greetings on the Bangladesh PM’s first state visit to India since the Indian premier assumed office on May 26, 2014.

Among others who were present at the airport were Indian Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Enterprises Babul Suprioy, Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Syed Muazzem Ali and his wife and Indian High Commissioner to India Harsh Vardhan Shringla.