Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is set to embark on bilateral visits to New Delhi and Beijing within the next three months, marking her first such engagements after the January 7 national election. These visits are aimed at deepening Bangladesh's connections with India and China, Asia's two leading economic powers. Following the formation of the new government, Prime Minister Hasina attended the Munich Security Conference in Germany in February, highlighting her active engagement on the global stage. Diplomatic sources indicate that PM Hasina's visit to India is planned after the conclusion of the neighbouring country’s national election, which is the world's largest democratic exercise, spanning seven phases from April 19 to June 1, with the vote count set for June 4. Read more: Foreign Minister discusses visa issuance and air connectivity with Bahrain’s ambassador-designate Pre-election surveys suggest a strong showing for the coalition led by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is widely anticipated to secure re-election. "Prime Minister's (Sheikh Hasina) India visit will definitely take place. However, it will take place after the election in India," Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud said. He said it is not yet discussed at the official level when the visit will exactly take place. In January, Prime Minister Modi extended warm congratulations to PM Hasina on her electoral victory, expressing hopes for the continued strengthening of the historically close ties between India and Bangladesh. The last bilateral engagement between PM Modi and PM Hasina occurred during the G-20 Leaders Summit in September 2023, where Bangladesh was the guest country. PM Hasina pays tribute to Father of the Nation on Independence Day PM Modi is expected to extend invitations to South Asian and BIMSTEC country leaders for his swearing-in ceremony, fostering regional cooperation. Additionally, PM Hasina's forthcoming visit to China in July was underscored during a meeting with Chinese Ambassador Yao Wen, who reiterated China's commitment to boosting investment in Bangladesh and enhancing bilateral relations. Ambassador Yao emphasised the significance of the visit in promoting trade, investment, and cultural exchange, aligning with Bangladesh's aspirations for "Vision 2041" and the realisation of a "Smart Bangladesh." PM Hasina wants Russian Rosatom to build another nuclear power plant at Rooppur

Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud is scheduled to leave for New Delhi, India on February 7 – the first bilateral visit by the minister after his appointment – to further strengthen Bangladesh-India relations. “It’s likely to be a three-day visit,” he told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today (January 18, 2024), noting that the agenda of the visit is yet to be finalised. The Foreign Minister said he will be visiting the country at the invitation of Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar. Asked whether he will have a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the visit, Mahmud said, “It is too early to say.” Read more: FM to lead Bangladesh delegation at 19th NAM Summit in Uganda Jaishankar, earlier, invited his Bangladesh counterpart Dr Hasan Mahmud to visit New Delhi at a mutually convenient time. Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma extended the invitation on behalf of the Indian External Affairs Minister on Monday. The Foreign Minister accepted the invitation and told him that he would visit Delhi soon. Mahmud was scheduled to embark on a multilateral tour to Uganda last night. After two hours, he came to know that the flight will not depart due to fog and poor visibility. The Foreign Minister was scheduled to hold a meeting on the sidelines of NAM Summit today. The meeting with the Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka marked Hasan Mahmud’s first diplomatic engagement since assuming the office of foreign minister. He noted the successful holding of the 12th parliamentary elections in Bangladesh on January 7, which was free, fair and participatory, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He also noted that international elections observers and media who visited Dhaka to cover elections expressed their satisfaction over the election process. Read more: FM seeks EU's trade concessions until 2032 for Bangladesh’s graduation

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will leave Dhaka for Rome on Tuesday on a four-day bilateral visit to hold talks with her Italian counterpart Giuseppe Conte.