NEW DELHI, April 7 - In a rare gesture, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today received Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the airport here signifying the importance attached to her visit to the country.
India and Bangladesh are likely to ink over 20 pacts during Sheikh Hasina�s visit. Two agreements are expected to be signed in the area of defence. India is expected to extend line of credit of 500 million dollars to Bangladesh for defence purchases.
India will also be entering into an inter-governmental agreement on civil nuclear energy with Bangladesh. Bus service connecting two cities of India and Bangladesh and train services involving Assam, West Bengal and Bangladesh will be also launched during Hasina�s visit.
The Bangladesh Prime Minister will meet Modi here tomorrow to hold delegation level talks. During her stay in New Delhi, the visiting dignitary will also call on President Pranab Mukherjee and Vice President Mohammed Hamid Ansari.
The Bangladesh Prime Minister will be staying at the President House as a special guest during her stay.
Soon after her arrival, the visiting Prime Minister was driven to the Rashtrapati Bhavan where External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj called on her later in the afternoon. Bangladesh High Commissioner to India also hosted a reception and dinner in her honour in the evening.
Meanwhile, in a tweet, Modi said he is delighted to welcome Hasina on her state visit to India. Modi said he and the Bangladesh Prime Minister are determined to take the relationship between the two nations to a new level.
Earlier, a joint statement issued by the two countries said: �The upcoming visit is expected to further expand the cordial and cooperative relationship between India and Bangladesh and build on the strong ties of friendship and trust between the two leaders.�
On Saturday, the visiting Prime Minister will be given a ceremonial reception at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Later she will visit Rajghat to lay a wreath at the samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi. The scene will then shift to Hyderabad House where the two Prime Ministers will meet ahead of the formal bilateral talks. It will be followed by exchange of agreements and release of the Hindi translation of Unfinished Memories.
Hasina will then attend the �Sommanona Ceremony� to honour Indian martyrs in the Liberation War at the Manekshaw Centre here.
