AL team leaves Dhaka for India

FT ONLINE

A 19-member delegation of the ruling Awami League, led by its General Secretary Obaidul Quader, left Dhaka for New Delhi on Sunday at the invitation of the Indian ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

During the three-day visit, the Awami League delegation will have a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday.

The delegation will also meet BJP President Amit Shah and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, said a party press release on Saturday.

BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav will host dinner for the AL delegation members.

Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Syed Muazzem Ali will also host dinner party for the Awami League leaders on Sunday.

The visit is viewed as an important one as the two countries are heading towards their next national elections, said a political source.

Obaidul Quader briefed the media at a press conference at the party President Sheikh Hasina's Dhanmondi political office about the visit on Saturday.

The delegation members will also pay respect to Memorials to Mahatma Gandhi.

Awami League leaders Pijush Kanti Bhattacharya, Mahbubul Alam Hanif, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Abdur Rahman, Dr Hasan Mahmud, Ahmad Hossain, Misbah Uddin Siraj, AFM Bahauddin Nasim, AKM Enamul Haque Shamim, Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury Nowfel, Dr Abdus Sobhan Golap, Dr Shammi Ahmed, Mrinal Kanti Das, Abdus Sobur, Dr Rokeya Sultana, Sujit Roynandi, Aminul Islam Amin and Golam Kabir Rabbani Chinu will accompany the AL General Secretary.

The delegation is scheduled return home on Tuesday.