President Abdul Hamid is expected to attend the International Solar Alliance Summit in New Delhi on March 11.

The aim of the event is to make available solar energy at an affordable rate, create solar grids and establish solar credit mechanism.

More than a dozen leaders, including those from Asia Pacific and South America, will attend the summit.

French President Emanuel Macron, will be on a state visit to India coinciding with the event co-sponsored by his country, The Economic Times quoted officials as reporting yesterday.

Diplomatic sources in Dhaka and New Delhi said the presidents of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, African leaders along with leaders of prominent oil producing South American nations and Pacific Islands are expected to attend.

Besides, heads of World Bank, ADB, BRICS Bank and European Investment Bank might be present.

The Bangladesh president is likely to hold bilateral talks with the visiting heads of state and government on the sideline. He is expected to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi too.

Our New Delhi correspondent reported that Hamid will fly to New Delhi on March 11 and is likely to stay overnight.

The International Solar Alliance is a treaty-based inter-governmental  alliance of 121 sunshine-rich countries. The countries which receive maximum sunshine are on the African continent ranging from Somalia to Egypt.

The ISA was launched by Modi and  the then French President Francois Hollande in Paris on the sidelines of the Paris climate summit in 2015.

Officials said the number of heads of state and heads of government attending the summit could go up as more countries ratify the ISA treaty ahead of the summit.