After gaffe, PM calls Sheikh Hasina, announces Bangladesh dates - Hindustan Times

The dates of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Bangladesh were announced on Monday and Manmohan Singh spoke to his counterpart Sheikh Hasina , conveying the “highest importance” of its ties with the neighbour, and informing the leader that “he was looking forward to the visit and to renewing contacts with his old friends there.” This came as the firefighting began, in right earnest, to undo the damages done by PM's media managers by putting an off the record comment, made about the Bangladesh, on the website.

In an unprecedented move, the dates — September 6 and 7 — were announced even before the customary visit of external affairs minister SM Krishna to Dhaka to prepare ground for the PM's trip. And following the announcement Singh called up Hasina.

“Hasina said she personally and the people of Bangladesh were waiting eagerly to receive him and there were high expectations from the visit, which she hoped would be a historic one”, an official release said.

Singh said India attached the highest importance to relations with Bangladesh and a strong and productive partnership between the two countries was in the interest of the two peoples and the people of South Asia as a whole.

“The visit would provide an opportunity to give added momentum and high level political direction to bilateral ties, which have been intensifying steadily in recent years”, the release said. 

Krishna, who will be in Dhaka from July 6 to 8, is set to arrive amid protest by opposition parties. He will also be tasked with clearing the air with the top Bangladeshi leadership beginning with PM Sheikh Hasina about the issue.

In a glaring mistake, the PM's off the record comment about Bangladesh, made during the recent interaction with a group of editors, had found its way into the transcript, cleared by Singh's media managers to post it on the website and raised many eyebrows.

"We must reckon that at least 25% of the population of Bangladesh swears by the Jamiat-ul-Islami (sic) and they are very anti-Indian and they are in the clutches, many times, of the ISI," said the transcript on website — which was withdrawn later.

Though prime minister had placed premium on the "good relationship" with Bangladesh, this one comment had become the fodder of a political controversy in Bangladesh.

On Monday, while the MEA announced the dates of Singh's visit, Krishna said that India "remain committed to forging a stronger and enduring relationship with ...Bangladesh."

Bangladesh foreign office also announced Singh’s visit on Monday, saying the visit is expected to “infuse fresh dynamism into the multi-faceted, multi-dimensional relationship between the two countries.”

Meanwhile, Krishna will fine-tune an ambitious agenda for the PM visit. This include, Teesta water sharing pact, inter-grid connectivity, joint ventures in power plants, solution to boundary issues, facilitation of 24-hour access to Bangladesh nationals through the Tin Bigha Corridor among others.