New Delhi: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is slated to visit New Delhi from September 6-8. She will also have a minister of waters accompanying her delegation, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Saturday. Her visit to India will focus on issues like connectivity and trade. It is pertinent to note that both India and Bangladesh are keen to restore the pre-1965 rail and other connectivity links.
During the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Bangladesh in March 2021, the two PMs inaugurated the third passenger train service 'Mitali Express' on the Dhaka-New Jalpaiguri-Dhaka route through the Chilahati-Haldibari rail link. During this visit of Sheikh Hasina, both leaders are expected to jointly inaugurate the 1320 Megawatt Maitree Super Thermal Power Station. Besides this, the Bangladesh PM will offer prayers at the famous Ajmer Sharif dargah.
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PM Hasina had been a regular visitor to the famous Dargah during her stay in Delhi from 1975 to 1981 after the assassination of her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. It is pertinent to note that PM Modi and PM Hasina also met on the sidelines of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly in September 2019 to celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
Hasina last visited India in November 2019 to witness the pink ball test cricket match between India and Bangladesh. During the Ukraine-Russia conflict, Bangladesh she had thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for rescuing her country's nationals under 'Operation Ganga,' alongside the stranded Indian nationals who were being evacuated from war-hit Ukraine.
India then rescued nine Bangladeshis from Ukraine. India has been steadfast in providing all possible support and help to Bangladesh to deal with the COVID-19 crisis. In 2021, India gifted 3.3 million Covishield (Oxford-AstraZeneca) vaccines to Bangladesh.
