<div><span style="font-size: 1rem;">The red carpet was rolled out as Brunei Darussalam Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah arrived on a three-day visit to Bangladesh.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>A special VVIP flight landed at Hazrat Shahjalal (R) International Airport (HSIA) carrying the Brunei Sultan and his entourage members at 2:24 pm to his maiden Bangladesh visit.</div><div><br></div><div>President M Abdul Hamid along with senior ministers and high civil and military officials received the Brunei Sultan, accompanied by his royal family members, ministers of various ministries of Brunei and high-level government officials.</div><div><br></div><div>A 21 gun salute heralded his arrival as he disembarked from the aircraft when Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid welcomed him with a bouquet.</div><div><br></div><div>A combined contingent of Bangladesh army, navy and air force presented him an honour guard while Sultan Waddaulah along with Bangladesh President stood on a makeshift dais when military band played national anthems of both the countries as well.</div><div><br></div><div>The Brunei Sultan also inspected the guard and then Bangladesh President introduced him to Bangladeshi dignitaries who were present at the reception line.</div><div><br></div><div>Sultan Waddaulah also introduced President Hamid with the delegation, accompanying him.</div><div><br></div><div>The Brunei Sultan is making his maiden tour to Dhaka at the invitation of Bangladesh President Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.</div><div><br></div><div>Brunei is an independent Islamic sultanate on the northern coast of the Borneo Island in Southeast Asia and entirely surrounded by Malaysia.</div><div><br></div><div>Brunei gained its independence as a British protectorate on 1 January 1984 but is being led by Hassanal Bolkiah since 1967.</div><div><br></div><div>Due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation, most of the members of the visiting delegation were seen to follow health guidelines, including wearing masks and maintaining social distance during the reception.</div><div><br></div><div>Later, Brunei Sultan was escorted to the National Martyrs' Memorial at Savar on the outskirts of the capital in a motorcade from the airport. He will place wreath at the Memorial in the memory of Bangladesh's 1971 Liberation War martyrs, plant a sapling and sign the "Visitors' Book" there.</div><div><br></div><div>The Sultan is scheduled to stay at Hotel InterContinental in Dhaka, according to programme schedule.</div><div><br></div><div>Sultan Waddaulah will hold separate meetings with the President and the Prime Minister during his visit. - BSS</div><div><span style="font-size: 1rem;">He is scheduled to return to Brunei on October 17.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><br></span></div><div>bnbd24/fas<span style="font-size: 1rem;"><br></span><br></div>