Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid to arrive in India tomorrow on six-day visit

NEW DELHI: In a first-ever visit by a ceremonial Head of Bangladesh, its President Abdul Hamid will arrive here tomorrow on an official six-day tour, which is expected to further strengthen and expand the close bilateral relations between the two countries.

Hamid has been invited by President Pranab Mukherjee to visit India and also to be a guest in Rashtrapati Bhawan, External Affairs Ministry said here today.

Apart from holding talks with Mukherjee, the visiting dignitary will meet the Vice President, the Prime Minister, the External Affairs Minister and other senior leaders.

"The visit of the Bangladesh President will contribute to further strengthening and expanding the close bilateral relations between our two countries," MEA said.

He is scheduled to visit places of historical and cultural importance both in and outside Delhi, it said.

Mukherjee had paid a State visit to Bangladesh in March 2013.

Hamid's visit comes in the backdrop of India making efforts to go ahead with Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) with Bangladesh. During his visit to Assam earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said his government will go ahead with the land-swap deal with Bangladesh for a permanent solution to the infiltration problem.

LBA implementation was agreed between previous UPA government and Bangladesh government headed by Prime Sheikh Hasina in 2011. Under the agreement the incongruous Indo-Bangladesh border will be redrawn and made much straighter with each country transferring area under adverse possession and exchange 161 enclaves.