Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Monday met his Bangladeshi counterpart during which the two leaders held discussions on the plans for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to Dhaka to inaugurate the birth centenary celebrations of the country's founder Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The Bangladesh government will observe 'Mujib Borsho (year)' from mid-March to March 2021 across the globe.
Modi is expected to visit Dhaka on March 17.
"Foreign Secretary of #India, Harsh Vardhan Shringla met his counterpart Foreign Secretary of #Bangladesh Mr. Masud Bin Mamun on March 2. Warm and friendly discussions on the #IndiaBangladesh partnership and plans for PM Narendra Modi's visit for #MujibBorsho," the High Commission of India in Bangladesh tweeted.
Shringla also met Awami League Secretary General and Minister of Road, Transport and Bridges Obaidul Quader, it said.
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The two leaders agreed that the relation between the two countries is of highest priority for both sides. They focussed on the need for efforts to continue to strengthen the partnership, the High Commission said.
Earlier, addressing a seminar on 'Bangladesh & India: A Promising Future', Shringla, who previously served as India's high commissioner in Dhaka, said, "It is a pleasure to be in Dhaka, a city that always feels like a second home."
He said his tenure as India's High Commissioner in Dhaka "was one of the most fulfilling postings" of his career.
Noting that Prime Minister Modi has been specially invited to participate in the inaugural ceremony of 'Mujib Barsho', Shringla said, "We are looking forward to this visit, both because of the priority the Prime Minister attaches to this relationship, and even more so, because Bangabandhu is just so iconic as a globally-recognized statesman and iconic symbol of liberation for Bangladesh and for our subcontinent."
"For us in India, there is a special resonance to his name. He is as revered and as remembered in India, as he is here in Bangladesh," he added.
The Foreign Secretary said in India too, there is a special resonance to Bangabandhu's name. He is as revered and as remembered in India, as he is in Bangladesh.
"As Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is our national hero too. We are honoured to be part of the celebrations, including through the joint production of a special feature film on the life of Bangabandhu," Shringla said.
Bangladesh has taken a series of initiatives to celebrate the 'Mujib Year', including to make a film on the Bangabandhu by noted Indian filmmaker Shyam Benegal.
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