Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials yesterday said this would be her first visit to Bangladesh since the senator was appointed to the ministry. She is expected to hold talks with top government leaders.

The officials said the visit of the minister would contribute greatly towards further strengthening ties between the two countries.

Sources said Vanstone would discuss trade and commerce, Australian development assistance in Bangladesh as well as sports. Australian Cricket team is expected to visit Bangladesh in April.

Official sources said Australia has been funding large-scale programs for food security, primary education, governance, micro-finance, HIV/AIDS and arsenic mitigation, as well as Australian Development Scholarships (ADS) in Bangladesh.