Hasina to visit Bhutan in Nov

Hasina to visit Bhutan in Nov
Bangladesh wants inclusion of Nepal, Bhutan in transit with India, she tells Bhutanese minister
Diplomatic Correspondent

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina will visit Bhutan from November 6 to 9 in her first tour of the South Asian country since her taking office in January.
An inter-ministerial meeting was held in this regard yesterday at the foreign ministry with the secretary, Mijarul Kayes, in the chair.
Confirming the date of her visit, the foreign ministry top official said itinerary of the tour would be finalised later.
Bhutan is the first country to recognise Bangladesh immediately after its emergence as an independent country under the leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1971.
During her visit, Sheikh Hasina will meet Bhutanese Prime Minister whom she had met on the sidelines of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit in Sharm-El-Sheikh of Egypt in July.
Issues of mutual interests, including further expansion of bilateral trade and commerce, facing global warming and climate change, use of Mongla Port for Bhutan and Bhutanese hydro-electric power for Bangladesh, will get focus during their talks, the official said.
Earlier in April, Hasina had visited Saudi Arabia on her first foreign visit as the prime minister of the Awami League-led grand alliance government. Apart from performing Umrah, she held bilateral talks with Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud on relaxation of restrictions by Saudi Arabia on import of manpower from Bangladesh and increasing trade and investment between the two countries.
BSS adds: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said Bangladesh wants to include Nepal and Bhutan alongside India on sharing transit facilities with each other.
Bangladesh always requests India to include Nepal and Bhutan in this important issue keeping in mind that this will benefit all the sides, Hasina said when visiting Economic Affairs Minister of Bhutan Lyonpo Khandu Wangchuk called on her at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in the morning.
The prime minister informed the Bhutanese minister that Bangladesh had raised the issue of Nepal and Bhutan's inclusion in the transit during talks with India on different occasions.
During the meeting, Hasina and Lyonpo discussed issues on bilateral interests, including further expansion of trade and business, facing global warming and climate change, and expansion of people-to-people contact between the two countries, said press secretary to the prime minister Abul Kalam Azad.
Hasina said Bangladesh attaches importance to its relationship with Bhutan as the South Asian neighbour was the first country to give recognition to Bangladesh after its independence in 1971 under the leadership of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Referring to her meeting with US president Barack Obama on the sidelines of the UNGA session in New York, Hasina informed the Bhutanese minister that she had brought the issue of climate change to the meet for which the developing countries are not responsible.
About the Prime Minister's upcoming visit to Bhutan, Lyonpo said the people of the country are eagerly waiting for warmly welcoming the Bangladesh premier in their country on November 6.
The Bhutanese minister informed the Prime Minister that Bhutan is going to set up a medical college where Bangladeshi doctors would be recruited.
Bhutanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Dasho Bap Kesang, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister MA Karim, Secretary of the PMO Mollah Waheeduzzaman and Press Secretary to the Prime Minister Abul Kalam Azad were present on the occasion.


5-10-2009, the independent