New Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday embarked on a three-day State visit to Bangladesh to participate in the 50th Victory Day celebrations in Dhaka.

"Beginning Wednesday, President Kovind will be on a State visit to Bangladesh. The visit will be from December 15-17. This visit is in context of 50th Victory Day celebrations in Dhaka at which Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid has invited President Kovind to represent India as a guest of honour," Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said on Tuesday during a press briefing.

This is the first visit of President Kovind to Bangladesh since the COVID-19 outbreak.

"Bangladesh inviting our President to be the guest of honour on this occasion to join to commemorate this event at which he is the only foreign dignitary who will be represented. At the same time, our president going out for the first time since the COVID pandemic is also very significant," Shringla said.

Emphasising that the visit of the President provides an opportunity to renew India's bonds with Dhaka, Shringla said that the relations are based on a shared geographical space, heritage, history and shared experience of New Delhi's support to Bangladesh during its war of liberation.

"It is also an occasion to take note of the width, depth, vitality and dynamism of the contemporary ties," Shringla added.

During the visit, the President will hold a delegation-level meeting with Hamid. Meanwhile, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister Dr A K Abdul Momen are scheduled to call upon the President, the Ministry of External Affairs had earlier said in a press release.