Bangladesh
Kovind Dhaka Visit Indian President Ram Nath Kovind to visit Dhaka today
Dhaka, December 15: Indian President Ram Nath Kovind will reach Dhaka on Wednesday for a three-day visit to attend the golden jubilee celebrations of independence in Bangladesh. He will be accorded a red carpet reception. A special flight of Indian Airlines carrying Indian President and his entourage is expected to land at Hazrat Jalal International Airport at 10:00 am today (BST). At the time, President Md. Abdul Hamid and his wife will receive the guests.
The Indian President, the First Lady and their daughter, along with a number of senior officials, including the Indian Education Minister and two MPs, are scheduled to visit Dhaka, officials said.
Members of the Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force will present him with a Guard of Honor as part of the reception at the airport. From there, he will be taken on a motorcade to the National Martyrs' Memorial in Savar on the outskirts of the capital.
Kovind will lay a wreath at the National Martyrs' Memorial in Savar in memory of the martyrs of the nine-month long 1971 War of Independence of Bangladesh. There he will plant a sapling and sign the visitors' book. He will later visit the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Museum in Dhanmondi to pay homage to the architect of Bangladesh, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The President of India and Bangladesh will simultaneously take part in the celebrations of Bangabandhu's birth centenary and the golden jubilee of independence.
This afternoon, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will pay a courtesy call on the President of India at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in his suite.
After discussions with the President of India, President Md. Abdul Hamid will host a dinner in honor of the President of India at Bangabhaban in the evening. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will take part in it.
An official associated with the visit said that the President of India would present to the President of Bangladesh two replicas of the 1971 war, Russian-made T-55 tanks and MiG-21 vintage aircraft. The President of India will enjoy a cultural program at Bangabhaban.
On the second day of the visit, the President of India will join the National Parade Ground on 16 December as the 'Distinguished Guest' on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of Bangladesh Victory Day.
On December 17, the third day of his visit, the Indian President is expected to inaugurate and inspect the newly renovated section of the Ramna Kali Mandir. He will leave Dhaka for New Delhi that afternoon.
