Bangladesh Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud on India visit from February 7

Feb 06, 2024

New Delhi [India], February 6 : Bangladesh Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud will arrive in India on Wednesday at the invitation of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday.
Notably, this is Mahmud's first foreign visit after being sworn into the new Bangladesh government after Sheikh Hasina registered a historic victory, clinching a consecutive fourth term as the Prime Minister.
"The visit reflects the high importance and priority both countries attach to their bilateral relationship," the MEA said.
During his February 7-9 visit to the country, the Bangladesh minister will also meet and hold talks with Jaishankar, and the two leaders will review the progress in wide-ranging areas of bilateral relations and chart out the agenda for future engagement.
They will also exchange views on sub-regional, regional, and multilateral issues of common interest, the MEA said.
Earlier this January, Jaishankar met his Bangladesh counterpart Mahmud on the sidelines of Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit in Kampala, Uganda.
Mahmud said he had valuable talks with Jaishankar to strengthen India-Bangladesh ties.
Jaishankar earlier congratulated Mahmud on his appointment and said he "looks forward to receiving him in Delhi soon."
Hasan Mahmud who hails from Chittagong in the southeast of Bangladesh had served as Deputy Foreign Minister during Sheikh Hasina's second term during 2009-2014.
Hasina's party, the Awami League secured 223 seats to form the government in the elections held on January 7.
The Awami League government named its 36-member cabinet, after President Mohammad Shahabuddin invited them to form the government.
The elections were held amid tensions, as the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Jamaat-e-Islami and like-minded parties observed a strike across the country as they boycotted the elections.