The meetings are also expected to kick-start the process of renewing and reviving a number of mechanisms that are to address some issues that have been neglected over the past few years.

Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury in April, following his meeting with his Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee on the sidelines of the Saarc summit in New Delhi, promised regular secretary-level talks as part of a "new upward trajectory" in Dhaka-New Delhi relations.

Although both sides had agreed to hold secretary-level talks annually, flagging Dhaka-New Delhi relations turned the meetings into a biennial affair, held alternately in Dhaka in 2003 and in New Delhi in 2005.

Following the talks, a MoU between Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institutions (BSTI) and the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), is expected to be signed which was recently approved by the council of advisers.

According to the MoU provisions, BSTI and BIS would standardise quality controls to allow the BSTI to perform tests and certify Bangladeshi goods for export to India.

These are the first steps to remove non-tariff barriers, long demanded by Bangladesh to expand its market in India, and especially stressed by Iftekhar during informal bilateral talks in April.

The MoU would end practices such as the system of testing Bangladeshi export goods by the BIS, not the BSTI.

Bangladesh has also demanded the removal of para-tariff barriers, which raises the price of Bangladeshi exports in India due to Indian customs surcharges, additional charges, internal taxes and charges levied on imports, and decreed customs valuation.

The secretary-level talks, including Menon's call on foreign adviser Iftekhar, are expected to re-energise deals on joint-border patrolling and border demarcation issues between Dhaka and New Delhi.

The official talks are also expected to bring up the two multi-billion dollar investment proposals from two Indian business giants, Mittal and Tata.

High-level government sources, however, say the government does not plan on taking decisions on the Tata and Mittal investment plans, but wants an elected government to take the decision.

Acting Foreign Secretary Touhid Hossain will lead the Bangladeshi delegation at the official talks, to be held at the State Guest House Padma.