DHAKA: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was looking forward to his upcoming two-day visit to neighboring Bangladesh with a great sense of enthusiasm and delight.
"On 6th June I will begin my two-day visit to Bangladesh. It is with a great sense of enthusiasm and delight that I visit a nation with which India's ties have been very strong," Prime Minister Modi said in a post on his Facebook page on Thursday.
"In Bangladesh I will attend several programmes, which include meeting with PM Sheikh Hasina, who has played an important role in strong India-Bangladesh ties. There will be delegation level talks and signing of agreements. I will join the programme to unveil the plaques for various Grant-in-Aid projects. At the Prime Minister's Office, plaques of railway, cultural and road projects will be unveiled. Similarly, plaques for various development projects will be unveiled at the New Chancery," he added.
The Indian premier said he would also pay tributes to martyrs of the 1971 liberation war at the National Martyrs' Memorial, reports abplive.in.
"I am eager to visit Bangabandhu National Museum and pay tributes to the great Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, a friend of India and a pillar of strength and democracy in the South Asian region. It will be my privilege to receive the Award of Liberation War Honour on behalf of Atal ji. Atal ji, as Foreign Minister and as PM, placed great emphasis on strong ties with Bangladesh and had visited Bangladesh in 1999," he said.
Modi pointed out that a few weeks ago, the Indian Parliament unanimously approved a Constitution amendment bill to give full effect to the Land Boundary Agreement of 1974 with Bangladesh and the related 2011 Protocol.
"I must highlight the support of political parties as well as CMs of various states that led to the smooth passage of this amendment bill. The ratification marks a watershed moment in our ties with Bangladesh," he said.
He added that he would flag off bus services on Kolkata-Dhaka-Agartala and Dhaka-Shillong-Guwahati routes, along with his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
"Further, to promote greater people-to-people ties and connectivity, I, along with PM Hasina and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, will flag off bus services on Kolkata-Dhaka-Agartala and Dhaka-Shillong-Guwahati routes. I will be visiting the Ramakrishna Mission in Dhaka. It was founded by devotees of the Belur Math in 1899. I will also visit the famous Dhakeshwari Temple in Dhaka," said Modi.
He also expressed certainty about that his visit will prove to be beneficial for the people of India and Bangladesh and in the larger good of the South Asian neighborhood.
BDST: 1340 HRS, JUN 05, 2015
HB/RS
