Indian foreign secy due in city today

Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Keshav Gokhale arrives in Dhaka this afternoon ahead of the meeting between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Commonwealth Summit in London.

During their meeting in London, the two premiers  are scheduled to review the implementation of promises and decisions taken in recent times.

Though the possibility of any VVIP visit or signing of much-delayed Teesta Water Sharing Agreement before the general election in Bangladesh remains highly unlikely, the meeting between the two prime ministers on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) will be very significant with general elections to be held in the near future in both the neighbouring countries.

The meeting of Hasina and Modi is likely to take place on April 19 or 20, diplomatic sources said adding that the talks would be dominated by political matters  where Modi is expected to convey India's firm commitment to further consolidate bilateral ties with Bangladesh.

Indian diplomats in Dhaka said the Indian Foreign Secretary Gokhale's visit is part of his familiarisation trip since being appointed in February this year. Bangladesh is his second trip a visit to Bhutan on April 1-2.

“This is an important visit by the Indian foreign secretary since he comes to finalise the dates for the two prime ministers meeting in London in which they will discuss a wide range of bilateral and regional issues and review the implementation of the 62-point joint statement issued during the Delhi visit of Sheikh Hasina in April 2017,” said a diplomatic source in Dhaka.

Gokhale, who arrives at 4:20pm today, will call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali and also hold a bilateral meeting with his Bangladeshi counterpart. He will also meet think-tank representatives with whom he is expected to hold a close-door session this evening.

The Indian dignitary will hold a bilateral meeting with his Bangladeshi counterpart at the State Guesthouse Meghna Monday morning. The meeting will be followed by signing of some Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs), mostly on development and cooperation programmes, and he will make press statement at 12 noon. Gokhale will also call on with the foreign minister.

Gokhale is scheduled to attend a Bilateral Conclave on India-Bangladesh Relations: "Deepening Cooperation and the way ahead" organised by the Institute for Policy, Advocacy and Governance (IPAG) at 2pm on Monday.  Dr Gowher Rizvi, International Affairs Adviser to the premier will be chief guest at this meet.

The foreign secretary will call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ay her Jatiya Sangshad office Monday evening before departing from Dhaka on Tuesday morning for New Delhi by a Jet Airways flight.