PM Modi will be the chief guest at Bangladesh's 50th Independence celebration at the National Parade Ground and Bangabandhu International Conference.
The streets of Dhaka are lined up with pictures of its Father of the Nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman even as the mood in the Bangladeshi capital is celebratory as the country marks its 50th Independence anniversary. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in the city from Friday on a two- day visit from March 26-27. On Friday when he lands, he will be welcomed by the Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina herself at the Hazrat Shahjalal International airport.
It will be followed by a visit to the National Martyrs' Memorial in Savar where the Indian PM will pay tribute to those who made sacrifices for the liberation of Bangladesh 50 years ago. India is celebrating its own Swarnim Vijay Varsh to recall the 1971 War with Pakistan, one that led to the creation of the modern state of Bangladesh.
PM Modi will be the chief guest at the country's 50th Independence celebration at the National Parade Ground and Bangabandhu International Conference on Friday. This year is especially a significant year for the country as not only it celebrates its 50th Independence year but also the birth centenary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Father of the Nation -- Mujib Borsho.
The visit of the Indian PM will be historic, given that he will go beyond the capital to three important places. First to the Jeshoreshwari temple in Ishwaripur, a temple dedicated to Goddess Kali and one of the shaktipiths of Hindu religion, followed by a visit to Tungipara to pay homage to at Bangabandhu Mausoleum. The father of Bangladesh was born at this place, and finally to a Thakurbari in Orakandi. Orakandi is the birth place of the Harichand Thakur who formed the Matua sect. Matuas, migrated from Bangladesh to West Bengal and can be a deciding factor in the upcoming Assembly elections in West Bengal. Key demands of Matuas are citizenship and that is linked to CAA law, a key law passed under the ruling BJP govt at the Centre.
Ties between the two countries have been on an upswing and undergoing what the two sides have been calling Shonar Adhya or the golden phase. PM Modi had last visited Dhaka in 2015. Since then both sides have increased engagement in various ways. In December, both sides had a virtual summit, during which the key focus was connectivity with the opening of the Haldibari-Chilahati rail link connecting Bangladesh with the Indian state of West Bengal. Five out of pre-1965 sic rail links have been revived. Bangladesh in the region has got the maximum number of India made vaccines. Bangladesh has got 90 lakh doses of India made covid vaccines, 70 lakh commercially and 20 lakh as a gift.
Ahead of the visit of the Indian Prime minister, EAM Jaishankar had visited the country to lay the ground for PM's visit. PM Modi was initially expected to visit Dhaka last year in March, but could not due to the COVID pandemic. This is the first visit of PM Modi amid the pandemic and one that will be a packed one. PM Modi last travelled abroad in November of 2019.
Bangladesh is abuzz with activity since the last fortnight as the country celebrates its 50th Independence year. It saw the visit of Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Sri Lankan PM Mahinda Rajapaksa, Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari, Bhutan's PM Lotay Tsering. The celebration will culminate with the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 26 and 27.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Dhaka")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}