<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>Bangladesh and Qatar will sign 11 cooperation documents- six agreements and five MoUs as Dhaka is ready to welcome Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on Monday.</b></span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud came up with the update while briefing the media at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Bangladesh Ambassador to Qatar Md. Nazrul Islam and MoFA Spokesperson Seheli Sabrin, among others, were present.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He said an agreement on prisoners exchange will be signed among the six deals.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"With this visit, the relations between Bangladesh and Qatar will reach a new height. This is the first-ever high level visit from the Middle East after the formation of new government this year," said the foreign minister.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Documents on trade and investment, avoidance of double taxation, manpower export will also be signed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Apart from areas of cooperation on bilateral front, global issues including Palestine-Israel will also be discussed where Bangladesh will highlight its position.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Naturally, this discussion can come up. Killings in Gaza should be stopped. Everyone wants it. We want it," said the foreign minister.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">During his participation in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Türkiye last month, Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud emphasised the urgent need for a collective effort to end the ongoing genocide in Gaza, holding Israel accountable for committing crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Bangladesh is in favour of peace, not for war," he said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The emir of Qatar will arrive on Monday on a two-day state visit by a special flight at the invitation of the president of Bangladesh.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The government, in a gazette notification, has already declared the emir as a very important person during his two-day visit to Bangladesh.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Some of the Dhaka streets are seen decorated with the photos of Qatar’s emir, along with Bangladesh president and the prime minister ahead of the visit.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Such a high-level 24-hour visit is taking place from friendly country Qatar nearly after 19 years.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The then Emir of Qatar Shaikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani visited Bangladesh in April, 2005.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">"The visit will play a significant role in further strengthening the brotherly relations between the two countries," said the foreign minister.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">President Mohammed Shahabuddin will receive the emir amid gun salute and a wider ceremony at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On Tuesday morning, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will receive the emir at her office.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">They will have tête-à-tête (one-to-one) meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office which will be followed by bilateral meeting.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The two leaders will witness signing of cooperation documents and join a joint press meet.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After signing visitors' book there, the emir will head for Bangabhaban on Tuesday afternoon where the president will receive him.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">President Shahabuddin will host official lunch in honour of the emir at Darbar Hall, Bangabhaban.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">FM Hasan Mahmud will also have a courtesy meeting with the emir.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A road and a park of the capital will be named after the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The emir will inaugurate the park in Kalshi area of Mirpur under Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and a road running from Mirpur ECB Chattar to Kalshi Flyover at 3pm.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The emir will have a private meeting with selected business community members at his place of residence.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He is scheduled to depart Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport by a special flight at 6pm Tuesday.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The foreign minister will see him off at the airport.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Bangladesh and Qatar want to expand the existing ties with broader cooperation in the areas of manpower, energy, trade and investment following the planned visit of Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to Bangladesh, reports UNB</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In March last year, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had a meeting with the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on the sidelines of the United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries (LDC5) in Doha.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She sought increased energy, particularly LNG, from Qatar to meet the energy demands.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/fas</div>