India reaches out to Khaleda Zia
Says The Times of India
With Bangladesh set to go to polls next year, India has reached out to the opposition leader and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia by inviting her to visit New Delhi next week, reported The Times of India yesterday.
Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pankaj Saran met Khaleda in Dhaka to discuss her engagements for the visit.
Khaleda is expected to meet President Pranab Mukherjee on October 28. The date for her meeting with PM Manmohan Singh is being finalised. She is also expected to visit Ajmer, it said.
While BNP has always been known for its anti-India stance, New Delhi knows that it is imperative to at least make an attempt to mend fences with her in the run up to the general elections.
BNP, known for its links with Pakistan, has of late been looking to make new friends in the region, it said.
India has managed to add some substance to its relations with Bangladesh during the ongoing tenure of the government led by Awami League's Sheikh Hasina but it knows that ties with BNP are crucial to make this process irreversible.
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