By Mainul Islam Khan
DHAKA, Bangladesh
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was given a red carpet welcome as he arrived in neighboring Bangladesh ahead of a two-day official visit expected to be focused on building regional connectivity within South Asia.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina greeted Modi at the airport in the capital Dhaka on Saturday as the oft-congested city was recalibrated for the Indian prime minister's arrival, with traffic diverted and security checks increased.
"This visit is going to strengthen the bond between our nations, benefitting people of our countries and our region," Modi posted on his official Twitter account before leaving.
Modi and Hasina will hold talks about trade and land connectivity and are also expected to discuss a crucial water sharing treaty -- regarding the River Teesta which flows through both countries -- that had originally been expected to be completed during the trip before India confirmed last week that it would not.
The chief minister of India's eastern state of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, arrived on Friday to join the visit. Banerjee has joined the talks because common cultural aspects, language and borders mean West Bengal has an interest in many of the connectivity deals expected to be discussed.
Modi will visit memorial sites from Bangladesh's 1971 independence war -- which India directly intervened in during its final days -- and Hindu religious sites.
His visit was preceded by Indian parliament's ratification last month of a 41-year delayed Land Boundary Agreement which allows the exchange of 162 enclaves of territory that each country held but were neglected because they lay on opposite sides of the land border.
Two new cross-border bus routes have also been launched that allows travellers from West Bengal to travel to parts of northeast India, which lie on the opposite side of Bangladesh, by passing through Dhaka.
