A red carpet was rolled out at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HISA) on Friday morning as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here on a two-day official visit. The Indian Prime Minister is the fifth among the world leaders after the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan to attend the celebrations of the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the golden jubilee of the country’s independence. It is Modi's first visit outside India since the start of the pandemic. Also read:Modi to bring 12 lakh more vaccine doses as gift for Bangladesh During his stay, he is also scheduled to visit the Orakandi temple in Kashiani upazila of Gopalganj, with an eye on wooing the Matua community in view of assembly elections in West Bengal, where they number nearly 30 million and can influence the vote in a number of seats. Orakandi serves as the headquarters of the community. Modi will also visit the Jessoreswari Devi Temple at Ishwaripur under Shyamnagar in Satkhira district. The VVIP aircraft carrying the Indian Prime Minister and his entourage landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HISA) at 10:30am. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina welcomed her Indian counterpart at the VVIP tarmac of the airport presenting him a flower bouquet. The Indian Prime Minister was received by a 19-gun salute, followed by a guard of honour by a smartly turned out contingent drawn from Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force at the airport. Both the prime ministers witnessed the state honour staying on the makeshift dais while the national anthems of the respective countries were played. Later, the Indian prime minister also inspected the parade. Also read:India committed to deepening ties with Bangladesh: Modi On the occasion, ministers, state ministers, civil and military high officials, among others, were present at the airport.