Bhutanese PM set to visit Dhaka to strengthen ties
Diplomatic Correspondent :
Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay is set to arrive in Dhaka on a three-day state visit from 22 to 24 November at the invitation of Chief Adviser of the interim government Dr Muhammad Yunus.
The trip is expected to see the signing of three memorandums of understanding, signalling a fresh push to widen cooperation between the two neighbours.
Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam shared the details at a briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday.
According to the ministry, the Bhutanese leader will be accompanied by a 13-member high-level delegation, including the Minister for Foreign and External Trade, the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Employment, and several senior government officials. Siam described Bangladesh and Bhutan as long-standing, close partners whose friendship has deepened through regular high-level engagements since the establishment of diplomatic relations.
He noted that the Preferential Trade Agreement signed in 2020 gave bilateral economic ties a new lift, and said the upcoming visit would focus on expanding cooperation even further.
Tobgay will receive a state welcome from the Chief Adviser upon his arrival at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on the morning of 22 November.
After inspecting the guard of honour, he will pay tribute at the National Martyrs’ Memorial in Savar. He is scheduled to meet the Foreign Affairs Adviser for a courtesy call before holding a one-to-one meeting with the Chief Adviser. Delegation-level bilateral talks will follow.
The discussions are expected to cover a wide sweep of areas including trade and investment, connectivity, education, agriculture, health, energy and power, telecommunications, tourism, culture, youth and sports, and industry.
Officials said three MoUs may be signed after the meeting: one on international internet bandwidth supply, another on the recruitment of Bangladeshi specialist doctors and health workers in Bhutan, and a third on agricultural cooperation. All three are still under negotiation. A state banquet will be hosted in honour of Prime Minister Tobgay on the night of 22 November. The next day, he will call on the President at Bangabhaban. Several government advisers and business leaders are also expected to meet him.
The Bhutanese Prime Minister will depart Dhaka for Thimphu on the morning of 24 November, with the Foreign Affairs Adviser seeing him off.
At the briefing, officials added that Bangladesh is likely to propose fresh areas of collaboration in health, education, trade, agriculture, tourism, sports, and economic development.
Dhaka may also seek expanded opportunities for Bangladeshi professionals in Bhutan, greater trade flows, and cooperation in water management. Regional and multilateral issues of shared interest are also expected to come up during the talks.
In reply to a question, Foreign Secretary said, “Bhutan has proposed Bangladesh to buy hydroelectricity. The matter is still under discussion. After the concluding discussion with India, Bhutan will talk with us.”
In reply to a question on Bhutan’s travel tax, he said, “We will continue to retain the current travel tax. We will also discussion with Bhutan to reduce it for Bangladeshis.”