Bangladesh will roll out the red carpet on Saturday to welcome Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, who is arriving on a two-day state visit aimed at elevating bilateral ties through deeper cooperation in connectivity, trade and investment.
Foreign Secretary Md Asad Alam Siam briefed reporters about the visit at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday.
He said that on the first day, the Bhutanese leader will hold both one-on-one and delegation-level talks with the chief adviser. During the meeting, three memorandums of understanding in the agriculture sector are expected to be signed. Tobgay will also meet Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain.
On the second day, President Md Shahabuddin will host a luncheon in honour of the Bhutanese premier. Tobgay will also meet a business delegation in Dhaka, where discussions will focus on deepening bilateral ties and expanding cooperation in trade, investment, connectivity, education, health, tourism, culture and sports.
The foreign secretary said Bangladesh will also raise two issues: a proposed trilateral agreement to import hydropower from Bhutan, and a request for reducing travel tax for Bangladeshis visiting Bhutan.
The visit follows an invitation extended by the chief adviser during the UN General Assembly session in September, which Prime Minister Tobgay warmly accepted.
The government has declared the Bhutanese prime minister a “Very Very Important Person” (VVIP) for the duration of the visit. A notification was issued by the Chief Adviser’s Office on 16 November.
