Bhutanese PM reaches Dhaka

Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay arrived in Dhaka on Saturday for a three-day state visit. He landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 8:15 am on a Druk Air flight. Chief Advisor Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus welcomed him at the airport.

According to the Chief Advisor’s Facebook page, Dr. Yunus and Prime Minister Tobgay held a short meeting in the airport’s VIP lounge. During the meeting, the Bhutanese Prime Minister asked about the damage and loss of life caused by the previous day’s earthquake and offered condolences to the families of those who died.

Prime Minister Tobgay received a 19-gun salute and a guard of honour. He then travelled to the National Martyrs’ Memorial in Savar to pay respects to Bangladesh’s Liberation War martyrs, where he laid a wreath and signed the visitors’ book.

This afternoon, he is scheduled to meet the Foreign Affairs and Trade Advisors. At around 3 pm, he will hold talks with Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus at his office in Tejgaon. In the evening, he will attend a state banquet hosted in his honour.

The visit is taking place at the invitation of Chief Advisor Dr. Muhammad Yunus.

Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam said at a press conference on Thursday that three memorandums of understanding are expected to be signed during the visit. The Bhutanese Prime Minister is accompanied by a 13-member high-level delegation that includes Bhutan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Employment, and senior government officials.

The Foreign Secretary described Bangladesh-Bhutan relations as historically close and cordial, strengthened by regular high-level visits. The preferential trade agreement signed in 2020 marked a new phase in economic ties, and the upcoming visit will explore ways to further expand cooperation.

Bilateral talks will cover trade and investment, connectivity, education, agriculture, health, energy, telecommunications, tourism, culture, youth and sports, and industry. The three possible MoUs concern the supply of international internet bandwidth, recruitment of Bangladeshi doctors and health workers in Bhutan, and agricultural cooperation. These are still under discussion.

Bangladesh may propose new areas of collaboration, including health, education, trade, agriculture, tourism, sports, economic development, recruitment of Bangladeshi professionals, trade expansion, and water management. Important regional and multilateral issues are also expected to be discussed.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Tobgay will pay a courtesy call on the President at Bangabhaban and may meet additional government advisors and business leaders.

He is scheduled to depart Dhaka for Thimphu on Monday morning, November 24, and will be seen off by the Foreign Affairs Advisor.