French President Emmanuel Macron is likely to visit Dhaka after the G20 summit in New Delhi, signalling an enhancement of the Dhaka-Paris relationship that both parties seem eager for.

The summit, in which Bangladesh and France will both participate, will be held from September 9-10.

Multiple diplomatic sources in Dhaka, New Delhi and Paris said the officials concerned in the three capitals are coordinating to finalise the schedule for the visit.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is also due to hold a bilateral meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which was initially scheduled for September 11.

"However, as the French side expressed its eagerness for President Macron's visit [to Dhaka], we are working on alternative options," a diplomatic source in New Delhi told this correspondent yesterday.

"If everything goes well, the French president will visit Dhaka and meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. However, he will be here only for a few hours," a source in Dhaka said.

A foreign ministry official said Hasina invited Macron to Bangladesh during her Paris visit in November 2021.

"This is a reciprocal visit of the French president," he said, adding, "France is now paying attention to improving relations with countries in the Indo-Pacific and Bangladesh is a key country in the region."

France-Bangladesh relations have witnessed a significant boost over the last several years, and the bilateral trade between the two countries is worth over three billion Euros.

Bangladesh's first-ever satellite, Bangabandhu-1, was made by the French company Thales.

During the PM's 2021 visit to France, the two countries signed a letter of intent on defence cooperation, while also sharing a common vision for a free, open, peaceful, secure, and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.

The two countries also agreed to further develop the defence and security component of their partnership through capacity building and potential technology transfer.

There were also talks about France providing Rafale aircraft to Bangladesh, though nothing has been finalised on the matter yet.

France is also eager to strengthen connectivity in South Asia in order to facilitate exchanges between Europe and Asia. It is actively engaged in supporting developing countries like Bangladesh in mitigating the impacts of climate change.

A French Navy ship made a goodwill visit to Chattogram in early July this year and engaged in a joint exercise with the Bangladesh Navy.

During that time, French Ambassador to Bangladesh Marie Masdupuy told The Daily Star that the ship's visit signifies France's political commitment to supporting Bangladesh and recognises the country's importance in the Indian Ocean region.