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Vajpayee arrives in Dhaka

Ashok Tuteja in Dhaka

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee arrived in Dhaka today to inaugurate the Calcutta-Dhaka bus service.

He was received at the airport by Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Foreign Minister Abdus Samad Azad and other senior ministers.

Vajpayee was accompanied by a high-level delegation which included External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh and Minister of State for Communication Kabindra Purkayastha.

Railway Minister Nitish Kumar, who flew to Dhaka in a helicopter after the inaugural ceremony of the bus service on the Indo-Bangladesh border, was also present.

However, West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu, who arrived in Dhaka yesterday to be part of the prime minister's delegation, was conspicuous by his absence.

Both the prime ministers declined to reply to media questions at the airport.

Later, Vajpayee met Bangladesh President, Justice (retired) Shahabuddin Ahmed and discussed with him matters of mutual interest and international issues.

Sources said the meeting lasted about half an hour. It could not be ascertained if the Kargil issue figured in the talks.

Later, the Bangladesh president hosted a lunch in honour of Vajpayee.

UNI

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