Indo-Bangla land agreement gives unusual warmth to PM Modi's visit

NEW DELHI: Reminiscent of his trip to Nepal last year where he got a rousing welcome, Narendra Modi was received at Dhaka with unprecedented warmth after his efforts to ratify the Land Boundary Agreement ( LBA) to demarcate the bilateral boundary.

While Modi was received at Dhaka airport by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina herself and senior members of her cabinet, the entire Bangladesh capital has been decked up for the trip with posters of Modi, Hasina and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who has accompanied Modi on this trip. National flags of the two countries besides banners and cut outs could be seen across the key streets of Dhaka.

The implementation of LBA, which was pending for more than four decades, will enable the two countries to exchange lands known as enclaves and help in resolving the long-standing boundary dispute. Bangladesh foreign minister Mahmud Ali, finance minister AMA Muhith and industries minister Amir Hossain Amu, among other senior cabinet ministers were present at the airport to receive Modi. Setting up the atmospherics of the visit, Modi made several tweets upon his arrival to Dhaka on his several engagements in Bangladesh to reflect his personal commitment to the partnership.