Nepal President Devi Bhandari arrives in Dhaka

The red carpet was rolled out as Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari arrived in Dhaka this morning on a two-day official visit.

A VVIP aircraft of Nepal Airlines (A320), carrying the president along with her entourage landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 10:00am.

This is the first visit of a Nepal president to Dhaka. The Himalayan state's president is visiting Bangladesh at the invitation of her Bangladeshi counterpart.

She is the third among world leaders to attend the celebrations of the golden jubilee of Bangladesh's independence and the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Maintaining health guidelines due to Covid-19, Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid received his Nepalese counterpart with a bouquet at the airport at 10:17am.

The visiting delegation members also maintained health rules, including wearing masks and maintaining social distancing, on the occasion.

The Nepal president was given an honour guard with 21-gun salute by a contingent drawn from Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force at the HISA.

President Abdul Hamid and his Nepalese counterpart Bhandari enjoyed the state honour while the national anthems of the respective states were played.

The state guest also inspected the parade and subsequently both the presidents introduced the respective countries delegation to each other.

Nepal president's entourage members include her daughter Usha Kiran Bhandari, Nepal's Foreign Affairs Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, and secretaries and senior officials concerned of the Nepalese government.

Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen, Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque, Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujon, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam, State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Fazilatun Nessa Indira, among others, were present at the airport.

Besides, cabinet secretary, chiefs of the three services, principal secretary to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), foreign secretary, IGP and secretaries concerned to the President's office were also present.

The Nepalese president will pay rich tributes to the martyrs of the Liberation War of Bangladesh by placing wreaths at the National Memorial in Savar.

President Bidya Devi will sign the visitors' book and plant a sapling there.

She will visit Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi-32 to pay tributes to country's founding Father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the greatest Bangalee of all times.

Later in the afternoon, she will attend the National Parade Square (Ground) function at Tejgaon as the guest of honour where Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will receive her.

A foreign ministry source said President Bhandari is scheduled to deliver a statement on the occasion of Bangabandhu's birth centenary.

President Bhandari will also pay a courtesy call on her Bangladeshi counterpart M Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban.

In the evening, she will sign a visitors' book there and is scheduled to enjoy a cultural function followed by dinner at the state dining hall.