Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj arrived in Dhaka today for a 24-hour visit to join the meeting of India-Bangladesh Joint Consultative Commission (JCC) and meet high government and political leaders to discuss bilateral issues.

She arrived in a special aircraft which landed at Bangladesh Air Force Base Bangabandhu in Dhaka at 1:45pm. She came here at the invitation of the Bangladesh foreign minister.

Upon her arrival, she was received by Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali. High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh Harsh Vardhan Shringla and other high officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Indian High Commission were also present.

During the visit, the Indian external affairs minister and the Bangladesh foreign minister will co-chair the fourth meeting of the India-Bangladesh Joint Consultative Commission around 4:30pm at Panpacific Sonargaon Hotel. 

She is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Gano Bhaban around 6:00pm today.

She is due to meet the political leaders in Bangladesh and also interact with the representatives of leading Bangladeshi think tanks, chambers of commerce and industry and cultural organisations.

This is her second visit to Bangladesh that comes soon after the state visit of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh to India in April 2017. 

The visit is expected to afford an opportunity for review of the excellent bilateral relations between India and Bangladesh and further strengthening of these ties.