Bangladesh PM accorded ceremonial welcome (Lead)

New Delhi April 8 (IANS) Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was on Saturday accorded a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi received Hasina. She was then accorded a ceremonial guard of honour. Later in the morning Hasina paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at the Rajghat.

In a special gesture on Friday Modi personally received his Bangladeshi counterpart at the airport. Hasina is on a four-day official visit to India.

Modi on Saturday in a tweet said: Will hold talks with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during which we will discuss ways to further deepen ties between India and Bangladesh.

At 3.30 p.m. today (Saturday) ... Hasina and I will join a programme to honour Indian soldiers martyred in the 1971 war at the Manekshaw Centre he said.

This is her first bilateral visit to India in seven years. She last visited the country in January 2010.

Following the bilateral summit over 20 agreements including a civil nuclear and two memorandum of understanding (MoUs) on defence cooperation were expected to be signed.

--IANS
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