Staff Reporter:
A red carpet welcome was accorded to Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck on his arri-val in Dhaka yesterday on a four-day official visit as President Mohammed Shahabuddin and his wife Dr. Rebeka Sultana received him.
The president and his wife welcomed Wangchuck and Bhutanese Queen Jetsun Pema with flower bou-quets at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in the capital city.
Earlier, a special aircraft carrying the Bhutanese king and queen along with their entourage members landed at the airport at 10: 11 am.
The 21 gun salute heralded the king’s arrival as he was getting off the aircraft.
Wangchuck was also taken to the makeshift saluting dais where he was offered ‘a guard of honour’ while the national anthems of the two countries were played.
Later, he visited the parade ground.
President Shahabuddin, as well, introduced the Bangladesh delegation waiting in the presentation line with the king as the Bhutanese King also introduced his representatives.
Ministers including Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Huq, Home Minister Asaduz-zaman Khan, Foreign Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud, State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat, chiefs of the three services, principal secretary to the prime minister, foreign secretary, Inspector General of Police (IGP), secretaries concerned to the president office and senior mil-itary and civil officials were present there.
The Bhutanese king has arrived in Dhaka at the special invitation of Bangladesh President Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on the occasion of the Independence Day.
Apart from participating in the grand Independence Day celebrations, the Bhutanese delegation will at-tend various other events.
Bangladesh’s bilateral tie with Bhutan is historical. Bhutan was the first country to recognize Bangladesh as an Independent state on December 6, 1971.
After long 11 years, Wangchuck came to Dhaka to attend the Independence Day function of Bangladesh.
Earlier, the king and queen visited Bangladesh in 2013.
According to the program schedule, on his arrival in Dhaka, the king will first go to Dhanmondi No. 32, where he will pay rich tributes to the portrait of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
From there, he will go to the Hotel Intercontinental here, where he will be staying during his visit.
The king will later visit the Prime Minister’s Office yesterday as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will wel-come him. Later, they will have a tete-a-tete.
The king and the prime minister will also attend a formal meeting with the representatives of the two countries. The overall aspects of bilateral relations will be discussed in the meeting.
Various important issues including hydropower import from Bhutan, trade, tourism, agriculture, health, education and culture are expected to dominate the discussion, said a foreign ministry source.
After the meeting, the two countries are expected to sign three MoUs and renew one MoU.
On the second day of his visit, the Bhutanese king will go to the National Memorial at Savar at 5:30 am on March 26.
At that time, President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will also be present there.
The king will pay deep respect to the memory of the martyrs of the Great Liberation War. He will also plant a sapling there.
Then, the king will go to the Sheikh Hasina National Burn Institute in the capital as he will visit Bhutan-ese patient Karma Dema, who came for medical purpose from India and is getting treatment in Bangla-desh and recovering subsequently.
In the afternoon of March 26, the king and queen will attend the Independence Day reception program, hosted by the president at Bangabhaban.
The president, the prime minister along with cabinet members, high-ranking military-civil officials and prominent citizens of the society will be present on the occasion.
Later, guests including the king and queen will attend the iftar and dinner at Bangabhaban.
The Bhutanese king will visit the Padma Bridge on March 27 morning.
On this day, he, as well, will visit the EPZ jointly managed by Japan-Bangladesh in Araihajar of Nara-yanganj.
The king will also meet with business representatives of Bangladesh in Dhaka at 4 pm. Bhutan Embassy of Bangladesh will organize this event.
On March 28, he will go to Syedpur by plane from Dhaka. From there, he will go to Kurigram EPZ by road.
After the EPZ visit, he is scheduled to leave Dhaka on March 28, said an official.
