New Delhi: At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina arrived in India on Friday to pay a State visit from June 21 to 22. Newly-appointed Minister of State (MoS) Kirtivardhan Singh welcomed the visiting Bangladesh PM at the airport. This visit will give a "major boost" to India-Bangladesh ties, the Official Spokesperson, of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Randhir Jaiswal said in a social media post. "PM Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh arrives in New Delhi on a State Visit to India. Warmly welcomed by MoS @KVSinghMPGonda at the airport. Bangladesh is a key partner and trusted neighbour of India. The visit will give a major boost to this celebrated bilateral partnership," read Jaiswal's post on X. This is the first incoming bilateral State Visit after the formation of the government in India following the 18th Lok Sabha elections, MEA said in a press release a day ago. "During the visit, apart from holding bilateral consultations with the Prime Minister, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to call on President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar," the release added. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is scheduled to call on the Prime Minister of Bangladesh. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was among the international leaders who attended the swearing-in ceremony of the Prime Minister and the Union Council of Ministers on June 9. Over the years, India and Bangladesh have forged a multifaceted relationship, marked by a shared history, culture, and geographical proximity. The two neighbours enjoy warm ties, which have further expanded under the leadership of PM Modi and Sheikh Hasina. The year 2023 witnessed a spur of bilateral activities between both countries as an embodiment of the strength of the relationship. Both Prime Ministers jointly inaugurated the India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline on 18 March in a virtual format. PM Sheikh Hasina also participated virtually in the Inaugural Session of the Voice of the Global South Summit on 11 January 2023 and the second Virtual Voice of the Global South Summit on 17 November 2023. As a Guest Country invited to India's G20 Presidency in 2023, Bangladesh participated under various tracks at the Ministerial level including the former Foreign Minister of Bangladesh, AK Abdul Momen in the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting and G-20 Development Ministers Meeting in March 2023 and June 2023 respectively. Both Prime Ministers jointly inaugurated three Indian-assisted development cooperation projects in Bangladesh on 1 November 2023 virtually. The projects are the Akhaura-Agartala cross-border rail link, Khulna-Mongla Port rail line and Unit II of Maitree Super Thermal Power Plant, according to the MEA.
