PM’s India visit important, sensitive: FM

A fresh date for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s India visit has not yet been finalised, the foreign minister has said.

Replying to a question, Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali on Saturday termed the visit as “important and sensitive”.

But he asked all to wait for an official announcement at an appropriate time.

The press briefing was organised ahead of the prime minister's Switzerland visit to attend the World Economic Forum's annual meeting.

“Slow dear slow,” he said when asked about the possible dates of the Prime Minister's India visit which was to take place in December but was postponed at the last moment .

Officials indicated that the visit might take place in the first half of February.

The date of the prime minister’s tour had not been announced officially even in December, but the three-day trip was due to begin from Dec 18.

A senior foreign ministry official had then told bdnews24.com that Bangladesh could not agree on a date with India, which led to the postponement. “We’ll work on new dates”.

The Indian authorities had earlier said Dhaka and New Delhi were working on finalising the dates and itinerary of the Bangladesh prime minister’s visit after Hasina accepted the invitation of her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.

Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali had also said the two countries were expecting ‘fresh efforts’ and 'productive discussion' on bilateral issues to deepen their existing good relations.

However, there has been no indication that the long-pending Teesta water-sharing deal will be signed when the visit goes ahead.

The two leaders last met in Goa on Oct 16 on the sidelines of the BRICS summit, when Modi reassured Hasina that Bangladesh and India would remain together for the sake of development.

Modi visited Bangladesh on June 6-7 last year and issued a joint declaration with Hasina aimed at launching a new beginning -- ‘Notun Projonmo - Nayi Disha’.