Narendra Modi to get maximum security: FM

The government will make arrangements to ensure the maximum amount of security for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his stay in Bangladesh, said Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen.

"This is a democratic country and people have different opinions here. But we have no reason to worry about it. We will provide the maximum amount of security for him [Narendra Modi]," he said responding to a reporter's query.

The minister was speaking at a press conference at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka on Saturday, over the upcoming visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Momen said the government is not worried about fundamentalists' opposition to the Indian premier's Bangladesh visit.

"Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina knows how to control the fundamentalists. The people of Bangladesh also know how to deal with them," he said.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Bangladesh from 26-27 March to join the celebration of Bangabandhus' birth centenary and the Golden Jubilee of Independent Bangladesh.

On 26 March, Modi is scheduled to visit two temples, in Satkhira and Gopalganj, and exchange views with the locals.

In response to a query about whether he is visiting the temples of a particular community of Gopalganj and Satkhira only to gain favour in the upcoming elections in West Bengal, Momen said, "It is a matter of happiness for us that the head of the Indian government will go out of Dhaka. What would happen in Paschimbanga is not our concern."

At the press briefing, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam said, "Those who believe in the spirit of the Liberation War and consider Bangabandhu as the Father of the Nation should show honour to the visiting South Asian leaders. This is because the main reason behind their visit is Bangabandhu's birth centenary and the Golden Jubilee of Independent Bangladesh."

Describing the opposition to Modi's visit as a political dilemma, Shahriar Alam said, "Dr Zafarullah is doing various things opposing Modi's visit. He was a partner in BNP's big coalition election. He was one of the persons involved in the formation of a big coalition with BNP in the last national election."

"BNP tried to create noise after BJP came to power [in India] for the first time. They tried to complain to BJP against the Awami League-led government. As those complaints were ignored by BJP, BNP changed its position later," he added.