Bhutanese PM Dr Tshering arrives Dhaka  

Bhutanese Prime Minister Dr Lotay Tshering has reached Dhaka on a state visit as a special representative of the Bhutanese King to participate in the celebrations of the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Golden Jubilee of Bangladesh's Independence.

He landed at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) at 9.30am.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina received her Bhutanese counterpart at the VVIP tarmac of the airport.

This is Prime Minister Dr Tshering's second visit to Dhaka after assuming office in November 2018, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He was given an honour guard with 21-gun salute by a smartly turned out contingent drawn from Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force at the HISA.

From the airport, the Bhutanese Prime Minister is scheduled to visit National Martyrs' Memorial at Savar to pay tributes to the Liberation War heroes by placing wreaths. 

Dr Tshering will visit Bangabandhu Memorial Museum in the city to pay tributes to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He will sign the visitors' book there after placing a wreath on Bangabandhu's portrait.

During his 23-25 March visit, the Bhutanese Prime Minister has been accompanied by senior officials of the Royal Government of Bhutan.

This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the recognition of the independence of Bangladesh by Bhutan and the friendship between the two countries. On the 6th December 1971, Bhutan became the first country to recognise the independence of Bangladesh.

The Bhutanese Prime Minister will also visit the Bimstec Secretariat on the first day of his visit and hold a meeting with its Secretary General Tenzin Lekphell, according to his programme schedule.

Bimstec Secretary General Tenzin Lekphellwill host lunch in honor of the visiting Bhutanese Prime Minister.

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen will meet the Bhutanese Prime Minister at his presidential suite at the hotel on Tuesday evening.

The Bhutanese Prime Minister will attend the cultural programme and banquet to be hosted by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at a city hotel on Tuesday (7:30pm to 8:30pm).

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Dr Tshering will have a one-to-one meeting with his Bangladesh counterpart at the Prime Minister's Office before holding the bilateral talks.

He will meet President Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban at 4:05pm and sign the visitors' book there before joining the celebrations at National Parade Ground as a guest of honour.  

Twenty-two artists from Royal Academy of Performing arts (RAPA) and four journalists from Bhutan arrived here on March 19 as an advanced team. The cultural delegation from RAPA will showcase a cultural performance at the event.

They are part of Prime Minister Dr Lotay Tshering's delegation to Dhaka for the twin mega celebrations – birth centenary of Bangabandhu and 50 years of Bangladesh's independence.

The 10-day celebration started on 17 March and it will conclude on 26 March with the Independence Day celebration.

The Bhutanese Prime Minister is scheduled to leave Dhaka on Thursday morning (10:10am). Foreign Minister Dr Momen will see him off at the airport.

Upon arrival in Paro, the delegation, including the Prime Minister, will undergo a 21-day quarantine in keeping with the Covid-19 health protocol.