Indian external affairs minister to visit Bangladesh early February

Jan 18, 2009, 9:36 GMT

Dhaka - The first visit by an Indian minister to Bangladesh since the end of a military-backed government is scheduled for February, Bangladeshi officials announced Sunday.

Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee is scheduled to visit Bangladesh in early February to discuss a range of bilateral and regional issues, including the formation of a proposed South Asian task force against terrorism, officials said.

The task force was proposed by the new Bangladeshi government, led by Sheikh Hasina's Awami League, which took power January 6 following a landslide December victory over the military-backed government of Fakhruddin Ahmed.

Demarcation of the maritime boundary between the two countries in the Bay of Bengal and trade will also be discussed.

'We will definitely discuss issues related to trade and will find ways to narrow the existing trade gap,' said Faruk Khan, the Bangladeshi commerce.