<div><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck is scheduled to arrive on Monday on a four-day visit demonstrating the strong relations that Bangladesh and Bhutan have developed steadily since 1971.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>President Mohammed Shahabuddin and the First Lady will receive the king amid gun salute and guard of honor.</div><div><br></div><div>The king is scheduled to arrive at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport 10am on Monday by a special flight, a senior official told UNB.</div><div><br></div><div>After the ceremony at the airport, the king will go to Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi 32 to pay tribute to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.</div><div><br></div><div>On Monday afternoon, the Bhutanese King will have a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her office. They will have tete-a-tete (one-to-one) meeting, too.</div><div><br></div><div>The two sides are likely to sign a number of MoUs after the meeting.</div><div><br></div><div>Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud will meet the king at his place of residence same day before the meeting with the prime minister.</div><div><br></div><div>On Tuesday, the king will visit National Martyrs’ Memorial at Savar.</div><div><br></div><div>Together with the president and prime minister, the king will attend the ceremony at the National Martyrs’ Memorial at Savar.</div><div><br></div><div>He will plant a sapling there.</div><div><br></div><div>The king will also visit Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn &amp; Plastic Surgery.</div><div><br></div><div>He will visit Bangabhaban where he will be received by the president and the first lady.</div><div><br></div><div>The king will have a meeting with the president at 4:30pm on Tuesday.</div><div><br></div><div>The president will host iftar and dinner in honour of the visiting royal.</div><div><br></div><div>On Wednesday morning, the Queen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck, Queen of Bhutan and selected Bhutanese delegation members will leave Bangladesh for Bhutan by a special flight.</div><div><br></div><div>Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Rehana and Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen will see them off at the airport.</div><div><br></div><div>The Bhutanese king will visit Padma Bridge and Bangladesh Special Economic Zone, Araihazar, Narayanganj.</div><div><br></div><div>On Thursday, the king will visit Kurigram Special Economic Zone.</div><div><br></div><div>He will leave Bangladesh territory for Golakganj, Assam via Sonahat Land Port on Thursday afternoon.</div><div><br></div><div>Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, state minister for shipping will see him off there.</div><div><br></div><div>The 4th King of Bhutan, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, sent a letter of congratulations to the prime minister recently saying under her dynamic and strong leadership, Bangladesh has enjoyed peace, stability and unprecedented economic development.</div><div><br></div><div>He also termed Bhutan as a "close friend" and rejoiced with the people of Bangladesh on this occasion.</div><div><br></div><div>Bhutan was the first country to recognise the newly independent Bangladesh on December 6 in 1971 when the 3rd King of Bhutan sent a message of recognition by telegram.</div><div><br></div><div>Since then Bangladesh and Bhutan share a special multidimensional bilateral relationship. Immediately after the independence, the Bhutanese government took initiative to establish diplomatic relations with Bangladesh and, consequently, formal diplomatic relations was established on 12 April 1973. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>