PM Modi sets aside protocol to receive Sheikh Hasina

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday set aside protocol when he decided to visit the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport to receive his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina.

The Bangladesh PM is on a four-day visit to India, which comes after a gap of over seven years. She is slated to hold wide-ranging talks with PM Modi on Saturday.

Even though PM Modi has earlier received former US President Barack Obama, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Abu Dhabi’s crown prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the airport, analysts say the sudden decision to receive Sheikh Hasina at the tarmac carried a special message.

It was symbolically aimed at giving the message to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has consistently been putting impediments on any breakthrough on the Teesta Water Agreement, and also to other neighbours in the region — that India was ready to walk the extra mile, provided they address the core concern of terrorism.

After the departure of the Bangladesh PM from the airport, several members of her delegation interacted with PM Modi at the tarmac itself. Some even took selfies.

The Bangladesh PM was scheduled to arrive at 12.20 pm and PM Modi reached the airport about 15 minutes prior to her landing. “The VIP route with all traffic restrictions as per the protocol had been set aside for the Bangladeshi Prime Minister. But the carriageway on the other side was open for normal traffic. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s convoy travelled through the normal traffic,” said a senior police officer from the IGI airport. The fact that there was more than usual heavy traffic during the afternoon ensured that the PM had to spend some extra time on the road.

“It was on Shantipath and Rao Tula Ram road where the PM’s cavalcade, that includes the jammer vehicles and the armed commandos, had to crawl, facing heavy traffic. This took him about 17-20 minutes longer than usual.

However, the PM’s security unit and the Special Security Group (SPG) commandos took care of the situation and security. A tight security cover was maintained throughout around the PM’s vehicle. No risk was taken with the PM’s security.”

The PM’s cavalcade includes armed SPG commandos and the outer ring of the security is taken care of by the security unit of Delhi Police sleuths. As soon as the PM leaves, the district and traffic police are informed so that a carriageway can be blocked and traffic restrictions be imposed for a smooth passage. Police districts lying in the route of travel are regularly alerted as the PM’s convoy moves and security units at the destination are already alerted as they sanitise the area.

Senior security officers said that if the threat level is unusually high, two routes may be planned with similar traffic restrictions on both.