Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is arriving at New Delhi on Friday, which is her last India visit ahead of upcoming national election. Sheikh Hasina will take part in a meeting with her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi at his official residence in New Delhi. In this talks of one and half hours, various bilateral issues will be discussed between them.
According to the Indian diplomatic sources, Narendra Modi is holding bilateral meeting with Sheikh Hasina on Friday, in addition to just his meeting with the US President Joe Biden. The meeting is bearing utmost importance as there the views of the US and India regarding the election of Bangladesh will be reflected. Furthermore, Sheikh Hasina will also held meeting with Congress President Sonia Gandhi and West Bengal Chief Miniser Mamata Banarjee.
According to the sources, amid the busy schedules of G20 Summit, giving one and half hours to Bangladeshi Premiere bears very importance, as well as also cleared the stance of India a lot. This type of bilateral meeting is usually held in state guest house Hyderabad House. Amid the presence of more than two dozens of heads of state and governments from various countries, calling Bangladesh Prime Minister on at the state guest house is obviously has a special dimension, according to the diplomatic analysts of India.
Foreign Minister Abdul Momen mentioned the signing of three MoUs in Dhaka on Thursday, but they are not being signed in New Delhi. Dhaka-Delhi will sign these MoUs at a different time according to their own convenience, said officials in charge of diplomatic affairs in New Delhi. They said this time of grand event is also being regarded especially on the occasion of bilateral affairs. However, the Bangladesh elections and the attitude of the US and the role of India in building bridge of relations have given a different shape to the whole matter. Therefore, MoUs signed in Dhaka will be deemed to have been declared in New Delhi.
In a press conference on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's participation in the G20 summit, Foreign Minister Abdul Momen said the Prime Minister will visit India to participate in the Leaders Summit in New Delhi on September 8-10 at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Bangladesh delegation led by the Prime Minister will include Foreign Minister, Prime Minister's Adviser on Private Industry and Investment, Ambassador-at-Large, State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Foreign Secretary, Prime Minister's Office Officials, Governor of Bangladesh Bank and Secretaries of concerned Ministries. In addition, senior level officials and dignitaries will accompany the Prime Minister on this visit. The foreign minister said India, he friend of Bangladesh and closest neighbor, has assumed responsibility as the president of the G20, an organization of the world's largest economic powers, for the period from December 2022 to November 2023. It is the main forum for international economic cooperation among the G20 nations. G20 members represent about 85 percent of global GDP and 75 percent of world trade and about two-thirds of the world's population. It plays an important role in shaping and strengthening the global framework on various important international economic issues.
Abdul Momen said India, under its G20 presidency, invited a total of nine countries, including Bangladesh, to participate in all G20 meetings as 'guest states'. These are Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Singapore, Spain and United Arab Emirates. Based on the unique relationship between Bangladesh and India, Bangladesh is the only country in South Asia to get this opportunity, which is a matter of pride for Bangladesh. In this context, Bangladesh is participating in all the meetings of the 18th G20 Summit organized by India and presenting Bangladesh's position and recommendations on various issues which have been appreciated by the participating countries including the host country India. As per the itinerary, the Prime Minister will arrive in New Delhi on Friday on a special Bangladesh Biman flight. In the afternoon, he will hold a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of India, where important issues of bilateral interest will be discussed. Three MoUs are expected to be signed before the bilateral meeting. These MoUs will be signed for cooperation in the agricultural research sector, cultural exchange and facilitating the transactions of ordinary citizens of the two countries.
The summit will be inaugurated in the presence of G20 leaders on Friday morning. The Prime Minister will participate in various sessions of the G20 summit. She will address two sessions under the main theme of the conference 'One Earth, One Family, One Future'. In two sessions under this theme, she made valuable statements about the challenges faced by the current global community, especially on climate change in the Global South, economic recovery after the Corona pandemic, the severe disruption of the global supply of important commodities such as fuel-food-fertilizers due to the war in Europe. In addition, the Prime Minister will share the experience of Bangladesh's incredible success in various socio-economic fields during the tenure of the current government to the world leaders participating in the conference.
According to the tour schedule, the Prime Minister is expected to hold a meeting with several leaders of other countries participating in the conference on the sidelines of the two sessions held on Saturday. Initially, there is a possibility of meeting with the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, the President of Argentina, the President of South Korea and the President of the United Arab Emirates. On the second and last day of the G20 summit, the Prime Minister along with the leaders of other countries will pay homage at Mahatma Gandhi's mausoleum at Rajghat. He will then participate in the concluding session of the conference. The G20 New Delhi Declaration will be adopted on the last day of the conference. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will return to Dhaka on a special Bangladesh Biman flight on September 10.
Meeting with Sonia and talks with Mamata: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to meet with the top leader of the Indian Congress Sonia Gandhi. Tomorrow, Sonia Gandhi will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Hotel The Grand. Apart from this, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will talk to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the G20 leaders' dinner hosted by Narendra Modi.
(The report was published in Bengali on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on September 8 and rewritten in English by Lutful Hoque)
