Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is due in Dhaka tonight, will reassure the Bangladeshi political leadership that efforts are on towards a consensus within his country on Teesta water share treaty, diplomatic sources said.
He will convey to Dhaka that New Delhi is hopeful to overcome political complexities that have clouded the implementation of two key decisions including a deal signing on the water share, they added.
The other issue is the ratification of an agreement on exchange of adversely possessed land, enclaves and demarcation of6.5-kilometre boundary.
Pranab's visit comes seven months after the setback in striking the Teesta agreement.
He will arrive at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 9:00pm and Foreign Minister Dipu Moni will receive him there, official sources said.
The visit coincides with the first official tour to Bangladesh by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who will land in Dhaka this afternoon.
Dhaka will give foolproof security to Pranab Mukherjee and status like head of state/government with SSF deployment. He will arrive and depart through the WIP terminal of Shahjalal International Airport.
The veteran politician is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Leader of Opposition Khaleda Zia and Dipu Moni.
Pranab starts off attending the closing ceremony of Tagore's 150th birth anniversary celebration, an Indo-Bangla initiative, at the capi-tal's Bangabandhu International Convention Centre at 10:00am tomorrow.
An Indian cultural delegation, including Sharmila Tagore, Pabitra Bhushan Sircar and a dance drama group from the Sangeet Natak Academy, will participate in the function.
Sources said the Indian finance minister will then
hold delegation-level talks at Hasina's official residence Gono Bhaban for about 25 minutes. The two sides are expected to discuss the progress of implementation of the joint communique and joint statement issued during the visits by the prime ministers.
He will then call on the PM there and have lunch with her.
The two leaders are expected to discuss many bilateral issues, review the accords signed during Hasina's visit to New Delhi in January 2010 and Manmohan Singh's to Dhaka in September 2011.
Dipu Moni will meet Pranab at his Sonargaon Hotel suite at 3:00pm.
Later, the Indian leader will join an interaction with the editors of print and electronic media.
He will meet BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia at her Gulshan office around 4:15pm and discuss bilateral relations, political situation and socio-economic development.
Pranab will leave Dhaka for New Delhi at 5:30pm tomorrow.
After Pranab’s visit, Dipu Moni will make a two-day visit to India from Monday to jointly chair the first loint Consultative Commission meeting, formed under the framework agreement on development and cooperation.
The meet will discuss a wide range of issues including water sharing, connectivity, border security and trade.
The same day Dipu Moni will attend the concluding ceremony of the joint celebrations of Tagore birth anniversary in New Delhi.
Indian Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar is also expected to visit Dhaka at the end of May to attend the joint inauguration of the commemora-tive function on Bangladesh's national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam.