Dhaka: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Abdul Hamid held a meeting on Sunday at Bangabhaban.

Narendra Modi received Liberation Award of War Honour on behalf of former Indian PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee at the Bangabhaban.

‘As a politician, Vajpayee's unstinting support to Bangladesh played an important role in mobilising support for our cause’, said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

‘It's a moment of great honour and pride for me and the people of India’, said Modi.

‘A great leader who dedicated his entire life for the service of country, fought for the rights of common man is being honoured today’.

‘Atal ji is a source of inspiration for many party workers like me, I express my gratitude to Bangladesh’.

‘If Atal ji's health was in good condition and he himself had received this award, this moment would have been even greater’.

‘Under Vajpayee ji's leadership when Jan Sangha organised Satyagraha for Liberation War [War of Independence], I came as a volunteer from my village to Delhi’, Modi added.

‘This war which was full of pride for people of Bangladesh, every Indian also wanted this dream to be realised’.

‘I was also among those million Indians who wanted full heartedly that this dream be realised’.

‘A friend is honoured’, tweeted Indian external affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup.

‘A warmth that brings two neighbours together. PM @narendramodi and President Abdul Hamid confer at Bangabhawan’, added Vikas Swarup.

Members of the cabinet, senior secretaries, and diplomats were present at the meeting.

Modi will also attend a lunch to be hosted by the President at the Bangabhaban, and sign Visitors' Book there.

Narendra Modi started his second day by visiting Dhakeshwari National Temple in the city on Sunday.

He went there at 8:40am and offered prayers.

Dhaka South City Corporation mayor Mohammad Sayeed Khokon, Mahanagar Sarbajaneen Puja Committee president JL Bhowmik and general secretary Narayan Saha Moni received the Indian Prime Minister.

Modi then visited Ramakrishna Mission at 9:10am.

He unveiled plaques for grant-in-aid projects at the new Chancery complex at Indian High Commission in Baridhara at 9:55am.

There will be a meeting between Indian Prime Minister and opposition leader Raushan Ershad at Sonargaon Hotel at about 3:10pm. Modi will meet Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson Khaleda Zia at about 4:00pm on Sunday.

Modi on Sunday tweeted, ‘Today in Dhaka I will visit Sree Sree Dhakeshwari Temple, Ramakrishna Mission & meet political & business leaders of Bangladesh.’

He also tweeted, ‘It will be my honour & privilege to receive the Award of Bangladesh Liberation War Honour on behalf of our beloved Atal ji.’

Modi spent some time offering prayers at Dhakeshwari temple. Then he left for Ramakrishna Mission. ‘An early morning temple visit. PM @narendramodi worships at the Sree Sree Dhakeshwari Temple in Dhaka’, tweeted Indian external affairs ministry official spokesperson Vikas Swarup.

Modi while visiting Indian High Commission in Dhaka planted a sapling at the commission premises, and inaugurated the new Chancery Complex in the mission.

Narendra Modi arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at about 10:30am on Saturday on a two-day visit to Bangladesh to hold talks with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and inked several agreements.

India and Bangladesh on Saturday ratified the Land Boundary Agreement in Dhaka as Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina presided over the ceremony of exchange of instruments of ratification of the land swap.

In a twitter message Modi said, ‘History is made as the Instruments of Ratification of the Land Boundary Agreement are exchanged.’ 

Bangladesh and India sealed an agreement simplifying their 4,000-km (2,500-mile) border at the weekend, over four decades after the neighbours first tried to untangle complex territorial rights set down in 1713.

The agreement was finalised during a two-day state visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi beginning on Saturday.

With West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee standing by his side, Modi, on his maiden visit in Dhaka, also expressed confidence to have a ‘fair solution’ to the Teesta and River Feni water sharing issues with Bangladesh ‘with the support of state governments in India’.

After extensive talks between Modi and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the two sides signed 22 agreements, including on cooperation in maritime safety and to curb human trafficking and fake Indian currency.

Modi will deliver a speech for public at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre at about 6:30pm.

‘It will be my privilege to receive the Award of Liberation War Honour on behalf of Atal ji. Atal ji, as Foreign Minister and as PM, placed great emphasis on strong ties with Bangladesh and had visited Bangladesh in 1999,’ Modi earlier mentioned on his Facebook page.

The Indian Prime Minister will leave Dhaka for New Delhi by a special flight at about 8:30pm.