President Hamid reaches New Delhi

President Abdul Hamid has reached New Delhi on a six-day official visit at the invitation of his Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee.

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of India BK Singh and Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Syed Moazzem Ali received the president at Indira Gandhi International Airport at 12.45pm (Indian local time) on Thursday, reports BSS.

The president was driven in a motorcade to 'Rashtrapati Bhaban', official residence of the Indian president, where he will stay.

Earlier at 10:45am, President Abdul Hamid left for New Delhi by a special flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam is accompanying the president.

This is the first India tour by a Bangladesh president after nearly three decades.

The president is making his visit to the neighbouring country at a crucial time when the two countries are expecting to ratify the long-pending Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) soon to take the bilateral relations to a newer height.

The visit is expected to further deepen the existing friendly relations and cooperation between the close-door neighbours.

President Hamid will hold a meeting with his Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhaban on Friday.

Later, he will join a dinner there to be hosted by the Indian president.

Abdul Hamid will also hold a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In New Delhi, the president will stay at Rashtrapati Bhaban.

Vice-President of India Hamid Ansari, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, and opposition leader of Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad will make separate courtesy calls on President Hamid.

During the visit, Abdul Hamid will visit historically and culturally importance places like Agra, Jaipur and Kolkata.

The president is scheduled to return home on December 23.