President goes to Bhutan on July 1

President Abdul Hamid is going to Bhutan on July 1 on a four-day visit.

The trip is expected to take the excellent bilateral relations and age-old friendship between the two countries to a new height.

Diplomatic sources said this is completely a bilateral visit and the president will be visiting the Himalayan nation at the invitation of its King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.

On his arrival at Paro International Airport, Bhutan's Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay will accord a warm welcome to the Bangladesh president.

Sources also said during the visit, Hamid would hold official talks with the Bhutanese king, while Bhutan's PM and important dignitaries, including speaker of the Bhutanese parliament, foreign minister and some other cabinet members would call on the Bangladesh president.

The Bhutanese parliament will have a special session on the occasion of Bangladesh president's visit. Hamid will deliver a speech in the parliament.

He is expected to pay a courtesy call on former king Jigme Singye Wangchuck, father of the current Bhutanese king.

King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck visited Bangladesh in 2011 and 2013. In 2011, he visited Bangladesh as “the guest of honour” in celebration of 40 years of Bangladesh's independence.

Bhutan was the first country to recognise an independent Bangladesh on December 6, 1971.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited Bhutan twice. In November 2009, she made a bilateral visit to Bhutan and in April 2010, she went there to attend the 16th Saarc

summit.