Bangladesh and India are negotiating to finalise a number of deals expected to be signed during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Dhaka.
An inter-ministerial meeting will be held at the Foreign Ministry today regarding the visit.
Modi's visit was confirmed after the constitution amendment bill to ratify Land Boundary Agreement in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha was passed recently. He is expected to arrive in Dhaka on a two-day visit on June 6.
Former Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh came to Dhaka in September 2011.
Agreements
Negotiation for the Coastal Shipping Agreement, Trade Agreement and Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade (PIWTT) is almost finalised. The shipping secretaries of both countries finalised the draft of the Coastal Shipping Agreement in New Delhi last month, said a Foreign Ministry official. “In the meeting, it was also decided that the PIWTT will also be renewed for five years,” he said.
The commerce secretaries of the two countries also agreed to renew the Trade Agreement for five years but it is yet to be signed.
The Teesta deal will be discussed in the bilateral discussion and Bangladesh would push for it. “But it is less likely that it will be through this time,” said another official.
Both the countries are negotiating to sign a second line of credit during Modi’s visit.
“A senior level Indian delegation has recently visited Dhaka and discussed the issue with Finance Ministry officials.
In addition, the countries are expected to renew the cultural agreement.