Bangladesh, Aug. 14 -- Preparations are quietly but steadily under way for Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to make his maiden visit to India as early as next week, official sources in Dhaka say.

The likely dates for the visit are Aug 22-23, according to diplomatic and political sources, although the schedule has yet to be formally announced.

The planned bilateral trip is being viewed as a significant step towards normalising relations between the two neighbours, with energy, trade, connectivity and border management expected to be high on the agenda.

India has extended two invitations to the prime minister - one for a bilateral visit and another to attend a multilateral summit.

Tarique has been invited to the summit in his capacity as ...