NEW DELHI, Feb 2 � Within weeks of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina�s visit, High Commissioner of Bangladesh, Tariq A Karim arrived in Guwahati on Tuesday on a week-long tour of the North-east.
The High Commissioner, who is accompanied by his wife and Trade Counsellor, Habibur Rehman Khan, is on his maiden trip to the region. The Bangladeshi delegation is scheduled to tour the neighbouring States including Meghalaya.
The High Commissioner is slated to address a trade conference at Guwahati tomorrow, besides meeting Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi and Governor J B Patnaik, amongst others, sources said.
The visit assumes significance because of growing cooperation between India and Dhaka on security and trade related issues. The Sheikh Hasina Government has shut the shops of several militant outfits operating from the country, hounding out the top leaders. Several of the ULFA leaders are now cooling their heels in jail in Guwahati.
Besides security issues, focus has also shifted to improvement in trade relations between the North Eastern States and the neighbouring country. Dhaka after years of dilly-dallying has granted rail and road transit to north eastern States, besides opening the Chittagong and Mongla ports for goods from the region.
