
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday (Jun 21) arrived in New Delhi on a state visit to India. She was received by Minister of State External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh.
The visit is the first such bilateral visit by any head of government after the (Bharatiya Janata Party) BJP-led (National Democratic Alliance) NDA alliance formed a government for the third consecutive time.
Notably, this visit is Hasina's second trip to the Indian capital in less than 15 days, as she was among the dignitaries invited to Modi's swearing-in ceremony on June 9.
During the visit, aimed at expanding the already close ties between India and Bangladesh, Hasina met with Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar hours after landing in the Indian capital.
In a post on X, Jaishankar said, "Delighted to call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh this evening."
"Her State visit to India underlines our close and abiding ties. Appreciate her guidance on the further development of our special partnership," he added.
Hasina and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are scheduled to meet followed by delegation-level talks as both nations will sign several agreements and MoUs to strengthen the existing ties further.
Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the national news agency reported that discussions on a potential trade pact are expected. It added that numerous cross-border initiatives have been launched as part of a robust regional partnership plan over the past decade.
A red carpet will be rolled out on Saturday at Rashtrapati Bhavan to receive Hasina and a ceremonial reception will take place. She will also inspect the Guard of Honour there.
(With inputs from agencies)