Four to five MoUs may be signed at the meeting.
Sheikh Hasina-Narendra Modi summit tomorrow. The two prime ministers will join the virtual meeting at 11 am. The Chilahati-Haldibari line is scheduled to be inaugurated. Besides, four to five MoUs are to be signed at the meeting.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to arrive in Dhaka for the inaugural function of the Mujib Year. That tour was postponed because of Corona. Modi also wanted to attend the 50th Victory Day celebrations, which are finally taking shape in a virtual meeting.
The meeting is expected to be a memorandum of understanding. Chilahati-Haldibari rail link will be launched after 55 years. The first passenger train is scheduled to run on the Dhaka-Siliguri route on March 26.
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said that in the midst of the ongoing epidemic, air communication between the two countries has been re-established under the ‘Air Bubble Arrangement’. Dhaka is also keen to reintroduce public travel between the two countries by land and rail. They will re-launch the virtual Chilahati-Haldibari rail route. This will re-establish the connection between Cooch Behar in India and Chilahati in northwestern Bangladesh. This route will carry a cargo train between the two countries.
The Hasina-Modi meeting will focus on various issues, including the implementation of the loan agreements reached between the two countries. However, international relations analysts believe that the relations between the two countries will be more important in the Corona situation.
Imtiaz Ahmed, an international relations analyst, said the Corona epidemic and its vaccine would be of paramount importance at the meeting. Discussions could also take place on how the two neighboring countries will deal with the epidemic.
In an informal discussion, the Indian High Commissioner to Dhaka Vikram Doraiswamy said the Teesta was not on the agenda this time but a meeting of the technical committee of the Joint Rivers Commission would be held next week. And 4 to 5 MoUs can be signed.
