Shakib Al Hasan welcomes PM Modi in Bangladesh, says ties with India will go a long way

Bangladeshi cricketer Shakib Al Hasan on Friday welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he began his two-day visit to the country.

"(I am) really honoured to meet the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modiji. I think his visit will be a fruitful one for both the countries and the leadership here shown for India is tremendous," he said.

Shakib further expressed hope that the India-Bangladesh relationship gets better in the future.

"There have been multiple tie-ups between India and Bangladesh and it's growing over the time. I am hopeful and sure that this relationship will go a long way," he further added.

The Prime Minister arrived at the Dhaka airport earlier today for his two-day visit to Bangladesh. He received a warm welcome from his counterpart Sheikh Hasina.

He visited the National Martyrs' Memorial in Savar upazila, Dhaka and laid a wreath to commemorate the fallen freedom fighters of the 1971 Liberation War.

The Prime Minister's visit comes as Bangladesh is celebrating its 50th independence day and the centennial birth anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

PM Modi will later call on Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid during the visit and will hold restricted delegation-level talks with his counterpart Hasina.

This is PM Modi's first foreign visit since the COVID-19 outbreak.

( With inputs from ANI )