Indian Home Minister Singh to visit Bangladesh for talks

Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh will arrive in Dhaka on Friday on a three-day official visit for talks with his counterpart Asaduzzaman Khan.

The visit is taking place in the context of the home-minister level talks held on a regular basis between India and Bangladesh, the Indian High Commission in Dhaka said in a statement on Thursday.

Issues tied to security, border management, cooperation in countering illegal activities and travel arrangements are expected to be discussed at a meeting on Sunday.

Khan will receive Singh when he arrives by a special aircraft at the Bangabandhu air base in Dhaka on Friday afternoon.

The last home minister level talks were held in New Delhi in July 2016.

In this meeting, they will review the bilateral relations and discuss ways to strengthen the ties.

This year, according to a senior official of the home ministry, India and Bangladesh will focus on efforts to counter illegal activities such as fake currency, drug and human trafficking.

The two ministers will also discuss proposals to promote people-to-people contacts further between the countries and consular services.

The Indian government has taken a number of measures to simplify visa procedures for Bangladesh citizens by introducing cashless submission of visa application, no requirement of e-token, long-duration visa for senior citizens, freedom fighters and businesspeople.

The visiting minister will call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday morning. He will also inaugurate a state-of-the-art Indian visa application centre at Jamuna Future Park before going to Rajshahi.

In Rajshahi, Khan and Singh will jointly inaugurate the Bangladesh-India Friendship Building at the Bangladesh Police Academy in Sardah.

On Sunday, before his official meeting with the home minister, he will visit Bangabandhu Museum at Dhanmondi and the Dhakeshwari temple.

The Revised Travel Agreements 2018, under which the visa easing processes are acknowledged, will also be signed during the meeting of the two ministers.

 
The High Commission said the visit is expected “to facilitate a comprehensive review of the excellent bilateral relations between India and Bangladesh and contribute to the further strengthening of ties”.