Modi off to Bangladesh with packed agenda

Formalisation of land deal will settle boundary, check cross-border crimil activities, says Foreign Secretary Jaishankar

From a Correspondent

New Delhi, June 5: The exchange of instrument of ratification of land boundary agreement between India and Bangladesh will completely settle the boundary with Bangladesh, said India’s Foreign Secretary Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

On Saturday, Prime Minister rendra Modi and Bangladesh premier Sheikh Hasi will exchange the instrument of ratification of land boundary agreement in Dhaka.  “This will not only settle the border with Bangladesh…it will also stop illegal movement of people,” said Jaishankar, while briefing mediapersons on the eve of Modi’s two-day-Dhaka visit.

“It’s a very historic visit. In fact, there are two concepts of the Prime Minister’s visit…one is ‘Neighborhood First’ policy and the other the ‘Act East’ policy,” said Jaishankar.

There will be delegation level talks and signing of agreements, he said.

“The border settlement will also solve several other problems including human trafficking, pumping of FICN, drug trafficking, illegal movement of people,” said Jaishankar.

On the first day, Prime Minister Modi will meet leader of the Bangladesh opposition Roshan Ershad, BNP supremo Khaleda Zia, Left party leaders and business heads of Bangladesh.

“The Prime Minister will have lunch with Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid,” Jaishankar said.

On the second day, along with Sheikh Hasi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Prime Minister Modi will flag off bus services on Kolkata-Dhaka-Agartala and Dhaka-Shillong-Guwahati routes.

Jaishankar said setting up of Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Bangladesh is high on the agenda of Prime Minister Modi. “This will attract more Indian investment in Bangladesh which would automatically enhance the economic condition of both the countries,” Jaishankar said.

He said that Modi’s visit will also strengthen bilateral cooperation in many other sectors, including power, communications, IT as well as culture. “As of now, we are supplying 500 MW of electricity to Bangladesh…we will try to increase it,” Jaishankar said. He further said that there will be a cultural exchange agreement for the screening of Bangladesh cutural programmes on Indian television. During his stay in Dhaka, Prime Minister Modi will be visiting the Ramakrish Mission there. “He will also visit the famous Dhakeshwari Temple in Dhaka,” Jaishankar said.