Bangladesh will roll out the red carpet on Saturday to welcome Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay who will arrive on a two-day state visit aimed at elevating bilateral relations through enhanced connectivity, trade, and investment.
“We are hopeful that this state visit of the Prime Minister of Bhutan, one of Bangladesh's closest neighbours, will make an important contribution to the development of bilateral relations between the two countries and the sub-regional context,” Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday.
Director General (Public Diplomacy) S.M. Mahbubul Alam and Director General (South Asia) Ishrat Jahan, among others, were present at the media briefing.
During the visit, the Bhutanese Prime Minister will attend a series of engagements, including talks with Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus. He is visiting at the invitation of the Chief Adviser.
The Foreign Secretary said the Bhutanese leader will be accompanied by a 13-member high-level delegation, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Employment, as well as senior government officials.
On Saturday morning, the Chief Adviser will formally welcome the Bhutanese Prime Minister at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
After receiving a guard of honor at the airport, the Bhutanese Prime Minister will pay homage to the martyrs of Bangladesh’s Great Liberation War at the Savar National Mausoleum. In the afternoon, Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain will pay a courtesy call on him.
Later the same day, the Prime Minister will hold a private meeting with Prof Yunus, followed by a delegation-level bilateral meeting between the two countries.
The meeting will discuss various areas of bilateral cooperation, including trade and investment, communication, education, agriculture, health, energy and power, telecommunications, tourism, culture, youth and sports, and industry.
Following the talks, three MoUs are likely to be signed with Bhutan on international internet bandwidth, recruitment of specialist doctors and health workers in Bhutan, and agricultural cooperation. Foreign Secretary Siam said these matters are still under discussion.
The Bhutanese Prime Minister will also attend a state dinner to be hosted in his honor.
On Sunday, he will pay a courtesy call on President Mohammed Shahabuddin at Bangabhaban.
Besides, several Advisers to the Bangladesh government are expected to meet him, and a Bangladeshi business delegation may also pay a courtesy call.
On Monday morning, the Bhutanese Prime Minister will depart Dhaka for Thimphu, with the Foreign Adviser seeing him off.
The Foreign Secretary said Bangladesh will have the opportunity to present specific proposals for bilateral cooperation during the delegation-level meeting.
Bangladesh may offer Bhutan several cooperation initiatives in the fields of health, education, trade, economic development, agriculture, tourism, and sports.
Dhaka may also seek Bhutan’s cooperation in recruiting Bangladeshi professionals in various sectors, including trade expansion and water management. Regional and multilateral issues are also expected to be discussed.
The Bhutanese Prime Minister will interact with the Bhutanese community residing in Bangladesh.
The Bhutanese Foreign Ministry said the visit is expected to further consolidate the longstanding ties of friendship and cooperation between the two countries and create new avenues for partnership and collaboration for mutual benefit.
Bhutan is keen to share its hydroelectric potential with Bangladesh and is ready to welcome investments from Bangladeshi pharmaceutical companies. The country has also sought Bangladesh’s support in establishing fiber-optic connectivity in Bhutan.
Foreign Secretary Siam noted that Bangladesh and Bhutan have historically enjoyed friendly relations, which have deepened through continuous high-level exchanges. Bangladesh’s first preferential trade agreement was signed with Bhutan in 2020.
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He said cooperation between the two countries is gradually expanding on the basis of mutual respect, goodwill, and sincerity, with the aim of ensuring the continued prosperity of both peoples. The upcoming visit will focus on further broadening and deepening this relationship.
On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September this year, Chief Adviser Prof Yunus invited Prime Minister Tobgay to visit Bangladesh, an invitation the Bhutanese leader warmly accepted.
Prime Minister Tobgay regards Prof Yunus as his “role model,” affectionately referring to him as “My Professor.”
During their meeting in New York, the Bhutanese Prime Minister expressed strong interest in signing a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Bangladesh and in linking the two countries’ economic zones to boost trade and investment.
He said both countries could benefit significantly if Bhutan’s Special Economic Zone, the Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC), is connected to the Special Economic Zone in Kurigram, which Bangladesh has officially allocated for Bhutanese investors.
Prof Yunus welcomed these proposals, emphasizing the importance of expanding trade and investment opportunities. “Bangladesh and Bhutan can take their bilateral relations to a new level through improved connectivity, trade, and investment,” he said.