PM leaves for home

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left here for home winding up her four-day official visit to India.

The Bangladesh premier paid the visit to India from April 7-10 at the invitation of her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.

A VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the premier and her entourage members departed Indian Air Force’s Palam Station in New Delhi at 4.45 pm local time.

Indian State Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Babul Supriyo, Bangladesh High Commissioner in New Delhi Syed Moazzem Ali and Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Harsh Vardhan Shringla were present at the Palam Station to see the premier off.

The flight is scheduled to reach Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka this evening.

During the visit, the prime minister held official talks with Narendra Modi and called on Indian President Pranab Mukherjee and Vice-President Hamid Ansari.

All India National Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Indian External Affairs Minister Sushama Swaraj and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Mukherjee called on her.

Dhaka and New Delhi signed 34 instruments including agreements, MoUs and bilateral documents after the talks of the two premiers at the ball room of the Hyderabad House.

Sheikh Hasina paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi, the preeminent leader of the Indian independence movement in British-ruled India, by placing a wreath at his Samadhi in Rajghat.

The two prime ministers unveiled the Hindi edition of Bangabandhu’s autobiography “Unfinished Memoirs of Bangabandhu”.

Sheikh Hasina honoured Indian Armed Forces members who embraced martyrdom in Bangladesh’s War of Liberation in 1971.

The prime minister visited Ajmer Sharif at Rajasthan and offered ziarat of the mazar (shrine) of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti (RA).

Sheikh Hasina attended a banquet hosted by the Indian president in her honour. She also joined another banquet hosted by the Indian premier.

The prime minister joined a reception accorded by India Foundation and attended a business event in New Delhi.

It was Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s maiden official visit to India after her present government was voted to power through the January 5 elections in 2014.

The Bangladesh premier earlier paid the official visit to India in January 2010 which was reciprocated by her Indian counterpart in June 2015.

Source: BSS