Latest news - Sonia Gandhi accorded hearty welcome in Bangladesh

Latest news - Sonia Gandhi accorded hearty welcome in Bangladesh

Sonia Gandhi was accorded a red carpet welcome on July 24 on her arrival in Dhaka at the invitation of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. This was first ever visit of Indian leader to Bangladersh. She was greeted by Foreign Minister Dipu Moni of Bangladesh.
She will be having a busy schedule during her visit.
She will attend a special ceremony at Bangabhaban. President Zillur Rahman will confer "Bangladesh Freedom Honour" posthumously to former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Sonia Gandhi will receive the award, the highest Bangladesh honour for any foreign national, on behalf of her mother-in-law.
The award includes a 200 tola gold medal and a three-page citation that reads "Mrs Indira Gandhi stood by the side of the people of Bangladesh from the beginning of the Liberation War despite various adversities.
She provided shelter to about one crore Bangladeshi refugees. She provided courage in the Liberation War by facing different diplomatic hurdles. She played a great role in freeing Bangabandhu from Pakistani jail. Her contribution to Bangladesh's Liberation War will be remembered forever."
She will also attend a conference on "Autism Spectrum Disorder and Developmental Disabilities in Bangladesh and South Asia" as the chief guest. She will meet the foreign minister and call on the prime minister and the president during her 24-hour stay.
Her visit to Bangladesh is ahead of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's trip to Dhaka in the first week of September.
BNP which is main opposition party of the Bangladesh said "Congress president Sonia Gandhi's visit is a significant event for the relations between Bangladesh and India. We hope the visit will have a positive impact on the unresolved bilateral issues."
Sonia Gandhi and Hasina will also discuss bilateral issues, as the two neighbours have been working to improve their relationship.
The Congress President Sonia Gandhi is the first leader of the present generation who is taking interest to boost Indo-Bangla relations.
Sonia Gandhi will address the conference on autism. Others VIPs participating in the conference will be Sri Lanka's First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa and Maldives vice-president's wife Ilham Hussain.
Representatives and experts from the Middle East countries and the United Nations will take part in the conference.