Hasina to visit India in September to join G20 summit: Quader

“The BJP has invited a delegation of the Awami League and we hope to visit India in July,” Quader said

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is likely to visit India in September, a few months ahead of the upcoming parliamentary election, said Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader.

Hasina will join the G20 summit during the visit, the road transport and bridges minister said.

An Awami League delegation will visit India in July at the invitation of the ruling party BJP, Quader said at the inaugural ceremony of the expansion work of the highway from Mirsarai to Ramgarh in Chattogram on Wednesday.

“The Indian ruling party contacted the ruling party in Dhaka. We hope an Awami League delegation will visit India in July.”

He hoped the party visit will ‘strengthen’ the bond between the people of both countries.

“Party-to-party contact is needed to strengthen the people-to-people contact, to develop a bridge between them.”

The friendship formed between India and Bangladesh in 1971 turned into ‘mistrust and suspicion' following the killing of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975, said Quader. “It could be beneficial for us if we could maintain the friendship. But it never happened due to the reality in Bangladesh.”

“Hence, a barrier of mistrust and doubt developed between the two countries which it was necessary to demolish. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Indian Premier Narendra Modi broke that barrier.”

Quader said any issue can be resolved through meetings and discussions if a bilateral friendship exists. “We were able to resolve the border issue. Also, the militant activities in the Indian border areas from Bangladeshi land have stopped. India too has zero tolerance on the issue. There’s no more negative impact on the two countries of the militancy at the border areas.”

Both countries should push forward the friendship for their own interest, otherwise, they will fall behind in trade and commerce, Quader said.

The minister said Bangladesh expects more investment from India. “If you invest enough, we don’t need to go far. Bangladesh’s connectivity with India progressed a lot in terms of road and rail connections."

"This transit facility is beneficial for both countries. We want friendship with India for the development of our country.”

Bangladesh is likely to import 100 double-decker AC buses from India by November, the minister said.