PM Modi's visit to Dhaka postponed

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Dhaka got cancelled after Bangladesh decided to defer all celebrations to mark the centenary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in view of the threat of coronavirus outbreak.

In a statement, Raveesh Kumar, the official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, said that New Delhi received a formal notification from Dhaka about its decision to postpone all public events on account of the detection of cases of coronavirus in Bangladesh and the larger global public health emergency.

"The impact of this deferment applies also to the large gathering planned for March 17, in which the Prime Minister of India was invited by Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina," Kumar said.

Bangladesh was in the process of organising public events to celebrate the centenary of the birth of the Father of Bangladesh, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Dhaka will convey the fresh dates for the commemorative events later, Kumar said, adding that India understands the circumstances that necessitate the deferment.

"India is ready to work with Bangladesh as partners to combat the spread of this disease in our shared neighbourhood," he said. IANS