Red carpet rolled out as Maldives president arrives
The red carpet was rolled out as Maldives president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih arrived on Wednesday morning on a three-day official visit.
Maldives president became the first among the world leaders to attend the celebrations of the golden jubilee of country’s independence and the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
“The VVIP aircraft (EK-582) of Emirates Airlines, carrying the Maldivian president along with his wife Fazna Ahmed and other entourage members, landed at Hazrat Shahjalal ® International Airport (HISA) at 8.20 am,” president’s press secretary Joynal Abedin told BSS.
President M Abdul Hamid and his wife Rashida Khanam received the Maldivian president at the airport, he added.
Meanwhile, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, both the presidents and their respective delegation members maintained health rules on the occasion.
The Maldivian president was given an honour guard by a smartly turned out contingent drawn from Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force at the airport.
Bangladesh president and his Maldivian counterpart enjoyed the state honour staying on the makeshift dais while the national anthem of the respective states was played.
Later, the state guest also inspected the parade.
On the occasion, foreign minister AK Abdul Momen, local government and rural development minister Tajul Islam, environment, forest and climate change minister Md Shahab Uddin, law, justice and parliamentary affairs minister Anisul Huq and education minister Dipu Moni, among others, were present at the airport.
Cabinet secretary, chiefs of the three services, principal secretary to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and secretaries concerned to the President’s office were also present.
From the airport, the visiting Maldivian president will pay tributes to the martyrs of the Liberation War of Bangladesh by placing wreath at the National Memorial in Savar.
President Solih’s visit to Dhaka will be followed by four other heads of the state and the government of Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and India on separate schedules.
Maldives president will attend the National Parade Square (Ground) function at Tejgaon where his Bangladesh counterpart will also be there at 4.30pm.