Pranab Mukherjee in Dhaka

India's first Bengali President Pranab Mukherjee has arrived in Dhaka amid a shutdown called by the Jamaat-e-Islami to protest against the war crimes trials.

A special flight carrying the President and his entourage, including first lady Suvra Mukherjee, touched down at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at around 12:30pm.

Mukherjee hails from West Bengal's Birbhum district, but the first lady's roots are in Bangladesh, where her relatives still live in Narail.

The Indian president was welcomed with a 21-gun salute, followed by the usual red carpet.

Bangladesh’s President Zillur Rahman received him at the airport.

This is Mukherjee's first tour to any country after taking over as President in August, 2012.

During his three-day visit, the President, who was a senior leader of the ruling Indian National Congress during his six decade-long political career, would convey India’s commitment to resolve the unresolved issues with Bangladesh.

“What the President will convey to the top Bangladesh leadership is the Indian government's commitment to take bilateral relations to a higher level and to resolve unresolved issues,” Indian Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai told journalists at a briefing in New Delhi on Saturday.

The visit comes at a time when the country’s political situation is volatile following the death verdict against Jamaat's top leader Delwar Hossain Sayadee.

The main opposition BNP is also out on the street to realise its demand of restoration of caretaker government system to run the parliament elections, a system that the current government has scrapped.

The foreign secretary, however, said the visit ‘is not designed to engage in political negotiations.’

He said they were in touch with Dhaka and monitoring the evolving situation in the wake of widespread violence erupted after the Tribunal awarded death penalty to Jamaat leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee for his crimes against humanity in 1971.

The party gave a call for shutdown on Sunday and Monday, followed by the main opposition BNP’s Tuesday strike.

The Indian President will receive Bangladesh Liberation War Honour Award and an Honorary Doctorate of Law from the University of Dhaka at a formal convocation ceremony.

He will call on the President Zillur Rahman on Monday and receive the Bangladesh Liberation War Honour Award from him.

He will also meet with the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, leader of the opposition and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad Abdul Hamid, Foreign Minister Dipu Moni, and Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith.

He is also expected to meet Jatiya Party Chairman Hussein Muhammad Ershad.

The President will attend a reception to meet members of the Indian community in Bangladesh.

The President is accompanied by the Minister of State for Railways Adhir Choudhury (from Murshidabad) and four Members of Parliament including Mukul Roy, General Secretary of the Trinamul Congress led by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Banerjee’s agreeing to send Roy on Mukherjee's delegation has triggered speculation of the ice melting on the much-coveted Teesta Water sharing deal.

The deal which was supposed to be signed during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit in September, 2011 was stalled due to Mamata Banerjee's opposition.

The Foreign Secretary said the President's visit would provide ‘an opportunity to take bilateral relations to a new height.’

He said the choice of Bangladesh as his first visit ‘is reflective of the fact that India attaches the highest importance to its relations with Bangladesh and seeks a deeper and stronger partnership with that country.’

During his stay, Mukherjee along with Hasina would also flag off a freight train from the Dhaka Cantonment railway station that is made of the tank wagons and locomotives being supplied from India under the $800 million line of credit.

He will pay a visit to the home of Rabindranath Tagore in Shilaidaha in Kushtia district and also to Bhadrabila in the Narail district of Bangladesh where he would visit his wife's relatives.

He would also visit Kumudini Welfare Trust in Mirzapur in Bangladesh before leaving Dhaka on Tuesday.

Ahead of President Mukherjee's visit, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid and Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai have visited Dhaka in recent weeks.

The Indo-Bangla ties are currently at its ‘most diversified and productive' stage.

Both sides earlier this month inked an extradition treaty, a liberalised visa agreement, and also exchange of maps of the demarcated stretches, in accordance with the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) of 1974.

The ratification of the land boundary agreement has been another issue that remained unresolved until recently when the President proposed it in parliament for constitutional amendment.

Once ratified, 111 Indian enclaves and 51 Bangladeshi that fall in each other's territory will be exchanged.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has recently been signed to launch a rail link between Akhaura and Agartala.