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Clinton reschedules

BD visit to March 20

DHAKA: US President Bill Clinton has rescheduled his South Asian trip to start from Bangladesh from March 20, a senior foreign ministry official said here on Saturday.

He said, Clinton would be in Dhaka for a day on March 20, instead of March 25, as had been previously announced, but was unable to give any reason.

The official BSS news agency quoted Bangladesh Foreign Minister Abdus Samad Azad as confirming the change.

BSS said it contacted Bruce Ridel, Special Assistant to President Clinton in Washington, who confirmed the change, saying "Bangladesh will be the first official part of his (Clinton) South Asian visit."

The visit was "very important" and "would deepen the existing relations between the two countries who are strongly committed to democracy," he said.

This would be the first visit by any US president to Bangladesh.ÑAFP