Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen did not go to India to accompany Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina due to illness.

"He (FM) is feeling ill. He didn't go with PM," an official told UNB on Monday.

At the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his Bangladesh counterpart Hasina is paying a state visit to New Delhi from September 5 to 8.

Hasina is visiting India after three years since she last visited in 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic broke out.

The visit is significant for both Bangladesh and India, said the government of Bangladesh.

The visit will further strengthen the multifaceted relationship between the two countries based on strong historical and cultural ties and mutual trust and understanding, said the Indian Ministry of External Affairs.