File photo

DHAKA, Jan 18, 2024 (BSS)-The Newly appointed foreign minister of the country Dr Hasan Mahmud will visit New Delhi on February 7 as his first official bilateral tour.

“I am going for tour of India on February 7 at the invitation of honourable Indian external affair minister,” he told the reporters at a briefing at foreign ministry here today.
 
The foreign minister said that he might be stayed in New Delhi for three days.

“The tour agendas or itinerary is yet to ready … but we have discussed that I will go on February 7,” he added.
        
Responding to a query whether he will call on Indian Prime Minister in Delhi, Mahmud said, “Nothing has been finalized yet … it is too early to say anything.”

The foreign minister was scheduled to leave Dhaka for Uganda to attend a multilateral event, the Non-aligned Movement (NAM) summit at the early hours of today but his flight could not take off due to dense fog.

Mahmud said his fixed meetings in Uganda are now under rescheduling as he will fly later.
 
The foreign minister said he received an invitation from his Indian counterpart Dr. S Jaishankar when Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Pranay Verma called on him on Monday marked Mahmud’s first diplomatic engagement after assuming the charge of the foreign ministry.

After the meeting while exchanging views with the journalists Mahmud said he expected New Delhi to be his first destination for bilateral visit at a convenient time.

On Sunday, the first office day of Hasan Mahmud as the foreign minister, Jaishankar greeted him (Dr Hasan Mahmud) on his appointment as the Bangladesh’s foreign minister.
 
“Congratulate Dr. Mohammed Hasan Mahmud on his appointment as the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh,” Indian external affair minister wrote in his X handle (former twitter).
   
Jaishankar said he Looks forward to work together to further deepen the India-Bangladesh friendship.

"We (India) are very hopeful and confident that in the next new term of this (Bangladesh) government, we will be able to achieve even greater momentum in our bilateral partnership," Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka said after his meeting with the new Bangladesh foreign minister on Monday.