French President Emmanuel Macron has committed to be by the side of Bangladesh as the two nations turn a new page in their relationship more than three decades after the visit of the then president François Mitterrand to Bangladesh in 1990.

France supported Bengal in the Battle of Plassey in 1757 and the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971, Macron said, adding, "France will be again on your side."

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called President Macron a "breath of fresh air in international politics".

"Your push for strategic autonomy largely aligns with our own foreign policy dictum -- Friendship to all, malice towards none -- given to us by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman," she told President Macron.

They both addressed a banquet hosted by PM Hasina in honour of Macron at the Hotel InterContinental last night.

Around 8:30pm, the prime minister welcomed President Macron at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport as he flew in from New Delhi where he attended the G20 summit.

The president was given a state salute and guard of honour by a contingent of Bangladesh Armed Forces. He inspected the guard of honour, while the national anthems of the countries were played.

President Macron is in Dhaka on a two-day visit at the invitation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who visited Paris the last time in 2021.

From the airport, President Macron and PM Hasina went to the Hotel InterContinental where they enjoyed a cultural show by performers featured by Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy and Bangladesh Academy of Fine Arts, and dances by Chakma, Marma and Tripura communities.

Both Macron and Hasina recalled the contribution of French intellectual André Malraux who, during the Liberation War in 1971, was one of the very few public figures to send a wake-up call to the international community about the atrocities perpetrated on Bangladeshi people.

Referring to the French support for Bangladeshi people in 1971, he said the French realised that they belonged to the same family where men and women stand ready to sacrifice their lives for freedom.

"This history binds us together despite adversaries," President Macron said.

He lauded Bangladesh's "tremendous success" over the years based on democratic principles and rule of law at the core of the country's identity.

President Macron said Bangladesh is progressively gaining its place on the world stage with science, trade and culture.

"You can count our full support in order to convince the countries mainly responsible for the emission of greenhouse gases. But also to help you, France will be again on your side.

"There is no intention to bully our partners or to leave them in an unsustainable scheme. As you did during the Liberation War, all our strategy is focused on strengthening independence and strategic autonomy of our friends, to give them the freedom of sovereignty."

A sustainable approach from a geopolitical point of view in this region is possible because "what you did in the past decade is a unique economic success."

President Macron then raised the toast of ambarella juice to the long friendship between France and Bangladesh.

PM Hasina said it was her great pleasure and honour to host President Macron and recalled the warm hospitality with which he received her during her visit to France in November 2021.

"Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib's call for freedom echoed with global intellectuals like Andre Marlaux who mobilised a number of young people to fight for our cause," she said.

"France holds a special place in our hearts and imagination."

PM Hasina also expressed her confidence that the Bangladesh-France relations can move to strategic engagements as the two countries are opening up new areas of cooperation in strategic assets and advanced technologies.

"Our partnership can be a meaningful force to address the multiple crises of wars, climate change and cost-of-living that our world is facing.

The PM then said there was Kachchi Biryani for the president to get a taste of Bangladesh's unique dish.

"Both of our nations are extremely proud of our cuisines, culture and linguistic heritage. It is time to promote further interface and fusion between our two cultures to bring our two peoples closer to each other."

President Macron then went to the Dhanmondi Lake and interacted with popular folk band Joler Gaan.

Today, President Macron will pay homage to Bangabandhu on Dhanmondi-32 and visit the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum. Then PM Hasina and Macron will hold a bilateral meeting at the Prime Minister's Office and address a joint press briefing.

President Macron leaves in the afternoon.