Bangabandhu a ‘hero for all Indians’: Modi

Setting the tone for his upcoming visit to Bangladesh, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi today paid homage to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on his birth anniversary describing him as "a champion of human rights and freedom" and "a hero for all Indians".

Taking to his Twitter handle, he said, "My heartfelt homage to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, a champion of human rights and freedom, on his birth anniversary. He is a hero for all Indians too. It will be my honour to visit Bangladesh later this month for the historic #MujibBorsho celebrations."

Modi is scheduled to undertake a two-day visit to Bangladesh on March 26-27. He will hold talks with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on the second day of his visit.

Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also paid homage to Mujibur Rahman and said his ideals continue to inspire millions across the world.

"Pay homage to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on his birth centenary. His ideals continue to inspire millions across the world. India is proud to celebrate his legacy jointly with Bangladesh in this historic #MujibBorsho," Jaishankar tweeted.

Earlier, Indian Foreign Ministry made an announcement on Tuesday (16 March) on Modi''s visit to the neighboring country following an invitation from Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

`This visit is in connection with the commemoration of three epochal events -- Mujib Borsho, the birth centenary of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman; 50 years of the establishment of diplomatic ties between India and Bangladesh; and 50 years of Bangladesh''s war of liberation,’ the announcement said.