Red carpet rolled out as PM reaches Kathmandu

A red carpet was rolled out as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reached Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu on a two-day official visit to Nepal to attend the 4th Bimstec Summit.

Nepalese Deputy Prime Minister Ishwor Pokharel and Bangladesh Foreign Minister AH Mahmud Ali, Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque and Bangladesh Ambassador in Kathmandu Mashfee Binte Shams received her at the airport.

A VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the Prime Minister and her entourage landed at Tribhuvan International Airport at 9:05 am (local time).

On her arrival, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was given a static guard of honour by a smartly turned out contingent of Nepalese Army.

After the reception, Sheikh Hasina was escorted to Hotel Soaltee Crowne Plaza at Tahachal Marg in a ceremonial motorcade where she will be staying during the visit.

The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec) having seven Member States -- Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand -- came into being on June 6, 1997 through the Bangkok Declaration.

Later in the day, the prime minister will meet Nepalese President Bidya Devi Bhandari at Sheetal Nibash, the Presidential Palace, in the capital city. She will also attend a luncheon there to be hosted by the Nepalese President.

In the afternoon, the Bangladesh prime minister along with other leaders will attend the opening session of the 4th Bimstec Summit at Hotel Soaltee Crowne Plaza in Kathmandu.

On the sidelines of the summit, the Bangladesh prime minister is expected to hold meetings with her Indian and Nepalese counterparts Narendra Modi and KP Sharma Oli and Bhutan's Chief Adviser or interim government chief Dasho Tshering Wangchuk.

Sheikh Hasina and other Bimstec leaders are set to make a joint call on Nepalese President Bidya Devi Bhandari at Sheetal Nibash, the Presidential Palace, in Kathmandu.

Hasina and other leaders will also join a gala dinner to be hosted by Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli in the city's Hyatt Regency Hotel in the evening.

The prime minister will return home on Friday noon.