Ahead of PM Modi's visit, EAM Jaishankar to visit Dhaka on March 4

India's External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar will be visiting the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka on March 4 for a one-day visit. The key focus of the visit will PM Modi's visit to the country on  March 26 for Bangladesh's 50th Independence Day celebration.

There has been increased engagement between the 2 countries in the last few years. December saw the India-Bangladesh virtual summit at the level of Prime Ministers. During the summit, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid rich tributes to the Indian Armed forces and thanked India for the liberation of the country from Pakistan in 1971. January saw the visit of the Bangladeshi foreign secretary Masud Bin Momen.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, India sent 2 million doses of the COVISHIELD vaccine produced by the Serum Institute of India(SII) to the country. Later commercial consignments were also sent. The key focus has also been on reviving the pre-1965 connectivity links. The December virtual summit saw the opening of the Haldibari-Chilahati rail link connecting Bangladesh with the Indian state of West Bengal.

Currently, 5 out of pre-1965 6 rail links have been revived, which are Haldibari-Chilahati rail link, Petrapole (India) - Benapole (Bangladesh), Gede (India) – Darshana (Bangladesh), Singhabad (India)-Rohanpur (Bangladesh) and Radhikapur (India)–Birol (Bangladesh).

This will be 2nd foreign visit of EAM Jaishankar this year. In January he had visited Sri Lanka for a short visit.