PM likely to visit New Delhi next week

Preparations are quietly but steadily under way for Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to make his maiden visit to India as early as next week, official sources in Dhaka say.

The likely dates for the visit are Aug 22-23, according to diplomatic and political sources, although the schedule has yet to be formally announced.

The planned bilateral trip is being viewed as a significant step towards normalising relations between the two neighbours, with energy, trade, connectivity and border management expected to be high on the agenda.

India has extended two invitations to the prime minister - one for a bilateral visit and another to attend a multilateral summit.

Tarique has been invited to the summit in his capacity as the current chair of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).

Indian broadcaster NDTV has also reported that the Bangladesh premier could travel to India well ahead of a planned BRICS outreach summit in September.

The development comes after Tarique met the Indian high commissioner in Dhaka last week.

Diplomatic sources suggest the meeting may have helped pave the way for the prime minister to consider a short visit to India.

If the Aug 22-23 trip goes ahead, it would come just over a week after India marked its  Independence Day on Aug 15 and would be Tarique’s first visit to the neighbouring country since 
becoming prime minister. �"bdnews24