Bangladesh is like my second home: Bhutan PM

Visiting Bhutanese prime minister Lotay Tshering on Sunday also joined the colourful Pahela Baishakh celebration, the first day of Bengali New Year, in the capital, reports BSS.

The Bhutanese prime minister attended one of the “Naba Barsha (new year)” celebrations jointly organised by Shurer Dhara, a cultural organisation and Channel-i, a private television channel, at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in Dhaka this morning.

Tshering, accompanied by speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury and foreign minister AK Abdul Momen, was mesmerised by the performance of Shurer Dhara led by internationally acclaimed singer Rezwana Chowdhury Bannya.

After enjoying different songs, one in Bhutanese language, Lotay greeted the people gathered on the occasion to celebrate Bengali Happy New Year.

He expressed his happiness as he was able to join the biggest festival of Bangalees. “I would like to greet you happy New Year from deep of my heart,” he said in Bangla.

Tshering had received his MBBS degree from Mymensingh Medical College under foreign student quota and underwent postgraduate training in different medical institutes in Dhaka afterward.

“I spent seven years in Mymensingh and four years in Dhaka …. Bangladesh is as like my second home,” Lotay said.

Later, the foreign minister told newsmen that when Bhutanese Prime minister was scheduling his visit here, Bangladesh proposed him to come here during the Pahela Baishakh. “He (Lotay) keenly accepted the proposal and rescheduled his visit,” Momen added.