Indian finance minister flies in today

Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will arrive in Dhaka today noon as businessmen of the two countries are set to meet to discuss increasing bilateral trade and investment alongside signing of two agreements.

Jaitley will be accompanied by Subhash Chandra Garg, secretary, Department of Economic Affairs under the Indian finance ministry, other senior Indian officials and a 30-member high-level business delegation from the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries and FICCI will discuss trade and investment this evening in presence of Arun Jaitley and Bangladesh Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu. Finance Minister AMA Muhith is also likely to attend the programme.

The Indian minister may visit Dhakeswari National Temple tomorrow morning. Then he will meet Muhith to sign the agreements.

One agreement is expected to be signed for the implementation of $4.5 billion third Line of Credit announced by India during Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to the neighbouring country in April this year, according to an Indian official statement issued yesterday.

The “Joint Interpretative Notes on the Agreement between India and Bangladesh for the Promotion and Protection of Investments” will also be signed in presence of the two finance ministers. The agreement will be signed by a representative of the industries ministry.

The Indian High commission, in association with the Policy Research Institute of Bangladesh, will organise a seminar on “Macroeconomic initiatives of the government of India” tomorrow. 

Jaitley and the finance minister of Bangladesh will inaugurate a new scheme for cashless transactions in visa services run by the State Bank of India on behalf of the High Commission. They are also scheduled to inaugurate the Dhaka office of the EXIM Bank of India. 

On the second day of his visit, Jaitley may also visit an RMG unit in the afternoon. He will leave on October 5.