New Delhi: In his first foreign visit amidst the coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in Bangladesh on a two-day visit on 26 March and 27 March. This will mark Modi’s third visit to Bangladesh.
Modi will be in Dhaka to attend the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Majibur Rahman and the 50th-anniversary celebrations of Bangladesh’s independence. The event will also mark 50 years of ties between India and Bangladesh.
The event will also be attended by other world leaders including Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari and Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Modi will also be visiting Matua Mandir at Orakandi on the second day of his visit and will be accompanied by Shantanu Thakur, BJP Bongaon MP and a Matua face.
Shantanu Thakur stated, “We will have a large gathering of Matua members. The PM will offer prayers at the temple”.
Notably, after the Rajbanshis, Matua is a Hindu religious sect that has been determining the fates of candidates in North Bengal. The fifth phase (April 7) and seventh phase (April 26) of the Bengal Assembly Elections will be held in more Matua influenced constituencies.
Modi and Thakur’s visit to Matua temple just before these dates will no doubt play a part in the upcoming Bengal elections.
