Manmohan to go on 'charm Dhaka' visit Sept 6-7

In New Delhi, Vishnu Prakash, the spokesperson of the external affairs ministry, disclosed the dates for the visit in a tweet on the micro-blogging site. Later, the external affairs ministry made it official, saying the Indian prime minister "would be paying an official visit to Bangladesh from Sep 6 to 7".

In Dhaka, the Bangladesh government also announced the visit, saying it “is expected to infuse fresh dynamism into the multi-faceted, multi-dimensional relationship between the two countries".

“The two sides have been working towards making the visit by the Indian Prime Minister a successful and a fruitful one,” said Dhaka. During his visit, Manmohan Singh is expected to announce a slew of initiatives and concessions, including a further easing of textile imports, a long-standing demand of Dhaka.

Also undertaken will be a review of the decisions taken during Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's trip to India last January. India had announced $1 billion line of credit for a range of development projects in Bangladesh and signed crucial agreements to enhance counter-terror and security cooperation.

These initiatives, said a senior official, will underscore a new hopeful phase in India-Bangladesh relations that have made major strides since Sheikh Hasina came to power nearly 18 months ago.  

This will be Manmohan Singh's second visit to Dhaka. He visited Bangladesh to attend the summit of the eight-nation South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in 2005.

Ahead of Manmohan Singh's visit, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna will travel to Dhaka July 6 on a three-day trip that is expected to pacify hurt feelings in Bangladesh and set the stage for the prime minister's visit.

"I spoke to prime minister today. He said he is looking forward to his visit," Krishna told reporters Monday. Denying that he would be in damage-control mode when he goes to Dhaka, Krishna said: "The prime minister has been one of the consistent champions of India-Bangldesh relations."

July promises to be an intense month for India's diplomatic  thrusts in Bangladesh.  Sonia Gandhi, the chairman of the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA), is also likely to go to Dhaka July 25 to attend  a conference on physically challenged and autistic children.

During the visit, Gandhi will also call on Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister Dipu Moni.
According to informed sources, Home Minister P. Chidamabaram may also go to Dhaka to seal a pact on the boundary issue.  

The announcement of the prime minister's visit by both sides on the same day indicated a conscious effort by both sides to play down the controversy triggered by Manmohan Singh's off-the-record remarks in an interaction with Indian editors last week about 25 percent of Bangladeshis being under the influence of the "anti-Indian" Jamaat-e-Islami, a rightwing Islamist political party.

During the interaction, Manmohan Singh Singh had said that with "... Bangladesh, our relations are quite good. But we must reckon that at least 25 percent of the population of Bangladesh swear by the Jamiat-e-Islami and they are very anti-India, and they are in the clutches, many-a-time, of the ISI".

These remarks created a storm in Bangladesh and were splashed in all Bangladeshi dailies, giving a handle not only to rightwing parties that thrive on anti-India propaganda, but also offended liberal mainstream opinion.  

Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Mijarul Quayes Sunday met India's High Commissioner Rajit Mitter in Dhaka and discussed issues that will figure in discussions during Krishna's  visit.

The two are also understood to have discussed the prime minister's remarks, with the Indian envoy assuring the latter about New Delhi's commitment to deepen ties with Dhaka.