www.bdnews24.com, April 17, 2017 at 19:10:21.0 BdST
The foreign minister has said Bangladesh will sign six agreements and memoranda of understanding with Bhutan during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit beginning on Tuesday.
AH Mahmood Ali was briefing reporters on Monday on the three-day visit at the invitation of her Bhutanese counterpart.
Both sides will sign deals on removal of double taxation, agriculture, cultural affairs, use of Bangladesh’s inland water by Bhutan, standards of products and land given to Bangladesh for establishing a permanent embassy.
Hasina will also inaugurate an international conference on autism and neurodevelopmental disorders on Apr 19 which is being organised jointly by Bangladesh and Bhutan.
During the visit, she will hold meetings with Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay and discuss bilateral and regional issues.
A Druk Air VVIP flight carrying the premier and her entourage will take off from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka for Thimphu on Tuesday morning.
The flight is scheduled to reach Paro International Airport in the Bhutanese capital at 11.35am local time, PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim told bdnews24.com.
Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay will receive her at the airport. Hasina will be presented a ceremonial Khadhar (scarf).
Later, Hasina will be given a guard of honour and she will also inspect the guard.
From the airport, a ceremonial motorcade will take her to her place of residence, where she will be received by the chairman of Royal Privy Council of Bhutan.
In the afternoon, the prime minister will be ceremonially received at Tashichhodzong, the Royal Palace.
A cabinet minister and senior Bhutanese officials will welcome her at the main gate of Tashichhodzong. She will be given a guard of honour later.
Then, Hasina will have an audience with Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema at the Royal Palace.
Later, Hasina will hold a meeting with her Bhutanese counterpart Tshering Tobgay at Gyalyong Tshogkhang. The meeting will be followed by the signing of MoUs and agreements.
She will attend a banquet at Royal Banquet Hall to be hosted in her honour by the Bhutanese premier.
Hasina will unveil the foundation stone plaque of the new chancery of Bangladesh embassy in Hejo where Bhutan has given a piece of land.
The prime minister will join a private dinner to be hosted by the Bhutanese king and queen at Lingkana Palace.
The foreign minister said the visit would strengthen the relations with Bhutan further.
Bangladesh earlier announced a plan to buy hydro electricity from Bhutan. For that project, Dhaka also showed interest to invest $1 billion.
The foreign minister said the project was in progress. “Preliminary assessments are being carried out. I have been there to visit the spot. I could only go close to the spot due to rough weather”.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Hasina and their Bhutanese counterpart Tshering Tobgay are expected to sign an agreement for that project in the next BIMSTEC summit to be held in Nepal this year.
Hasina will also discuss the motor vehicle agreement among Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal, which suffered a setback after Bhutan’s upper house rejected the move. Those countries signed the pact in 2O15 as part of sub-regional cooperation. Hasina will return home on Thursday morning.http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2017/04/17/bangladesh-to-sign-6-deals-with-bhutan
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