Indian Foreign Secretary Visits Bangladesh Amid Wide Spread Violence

DHAKA, Dec. 4 (nsnewswire) — Indian Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh arrived here on Wednesday morning on her first bilateral visit to Bangladesh.

She is expected to discuss the fraught political situation and the Jan. 5 parliamentary elections with Bangladeshi leaders.

Besides meeting Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Md. Shahidul Haque, the foreign secretary will also call on Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad and opposition leader Khaleda Zia.

This will be Singh’s first visit to Bangladesh after taking over as foreign secretary in August this year.

The visit comes even as dozens of people people were killed and hundreds others injured in violence across the country since Nov. 26 due to the main opposition- sponsored countrywide blockade of roads, rail and waterways.

The BNP and its allies are pushing for postponement of the polls.

The Awami League formed a multi-party interim government to oversee the polls but the BNP has refused to join it and is demanded setting up of a non-party caretaker set-up.

The main opposition party BNP and its allies have boycotted the elections.