Modi defers Dhaka visit
India today announced the deferment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Dhaka to attend the launch of birth centenary celebrations of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on March 17, due to the detection of coronavirus cases in Bangladesh.
In response to queries regarding the visit of Prime Minister Modi to Bangladesh, the official Spokesperson of the Ministry Raveesh Kumar said, "We have received formal notification from the government of Bangladesh that a decision has been taken by them to defer the public events being organised to celebrate the centenary of the birth of the Father of Bangladesh, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, on account of the detection of cases of coronavirus in Bangladesh, and the larger global public health situation in this regard.
"The impact of this deferment applies also to the large gathering planned for March 17 at which the Prime Minister of India was invited," he said.
"The government of Bangladesh has advised us that fresh dates for these commemorative events will be conveyed later," Kumar said, adding, "In this context, [the Indian] Prime Minister's visit to Bangladesh next week at the invitation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is being deferred."
He said, "While expressing understanding of the circumstances that necessitates this deferment, India is ready to work with Bangladesh, as partners, to combat the spread of this disease in our shared neighbourhood."
Modi was to visit Bangladesh for Mujib Borsho and to give a key-note address on the occasion at the invitation of Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina.
The Ministry of External Affairs had at its weekly media briefing on March 5 announced that Modi has accepted Hasina's invitation, which she had extended during her visit to New Delhi in October last year.
Raveesh Kumar had at that time also said there will be a "bilateral component" of Modi's visit, which would have been his second to Bangladesh since his previous visit to that country in June, 2015 to sign a landmark enabling deal to implement the land boundary agreement.
Bangladesh's postponement of the March 17 grand rally to launch Mujib borsho due to the coronavirus scare had cast a shadow of uncertainty over Modi's visit for the purpose.
However, speculations were rife in India about whether the "bilateral component" of Modi's visit could still go ahead.
However, this was set at rest by the Indian external affairs ministry's announcement deferring Modi's visit following the notification from Bangladesh.
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