Bangladesh has made all necessary preparations to welcome Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who will arrive on Monday for a two-day official visit.
Officials anticipate the signing of nearly a dozen cooperation documents to strengthen ties in multiple areas, including trade and investment.
The government has already declared the Emir as a very important person during his visit, as stated in a gazette notification.
Some streets in Dhaka are decorated with photos of the Qatar emir, along with those of the Bangladesh president and prime minister, ahead of the visit.
This high-level visit, lasting 24 hours, is taking place from friendly country Qatar, nearly 19 years after the last such visit by the then Emir of Qatar, Shaikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, in April 2005.
Foreign Ministry officials anticipate agreements and MoUs to enhance trade and investment, exchange prisoners, avoid double taxation, facilitate manpower export, and cooperate in the fields of religion and higher education. However, the exact number of documents to be signed between the two countries is yet to be confirmed.
"The visit will play a significant role in further strengthening the brotherly relations between the two countries," a senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told UNB.
Apart from bilateral cooperation, global issues including Palestine-Israel will be discussed, where Bangladesh will highlight its position, the official added.
During his participation in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey last month, Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud emphasized the urgent need for collective efforts to end the ongoing genocide in Gaza, holding Israel accountable for committing crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing.
"Bangladesh is in favor of peace, not war," he said.
President Mohammed Shahabuddin will receive the emir with a gun salute and a wider ceremony at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. The emir is scheduled to arrive on Monday afternoon by a special flight, an official told UNB.
On Tuesday morning, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will receive the Qatar emir at her office. They will have a tête-à-tête meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office, followed by a bilateral meeting. The two leaders will witness the signing ceremony of cooperation documents and participate in a joint press meet.
After signing the visitors' book, the emir will head for Bangabhaban on Tuesday afternoon, where the president will receive him. President Shahabuddin will host an official lunch in honor of the Emir of Qatar at Darbar Hall, Bangabhaban.
Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud will also have a courtesy meeting with the emir.
A road and a park in the capital will be named after the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani. The emir will inaugurate the park in the Kalshi area of Mirpur under Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and a road running from Mirpur ECB Chattar to Kalshi Flyover at 3 pm.
The emir will have a private meeting with selected members of the business community at his place of residence. He is scheduled to depart from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport by a special flight at 6 pm on Tuesday. The foreign minister will see him off at the airport.
Bangladesh and Qatar aim to expand their existing ties with broader cooperation in manpower, energy, trade, and investment following the planned visit of Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to Bangladesh.
In March last year, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had a meeting with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, on the sidelines of the United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries (LDC5) in Doha. She sought increased energy, particularly LNG, from Qatar to meet the energy demands.
The State of Qatar recognized Bangladesh as a sovereign state on March 4, 1974, following the 2nd OIC Summit held in February 1974.
Qatar assures support for Bangladesh's media sector development too.
Bangladesh opened its diplomatic mission in Doha on June 25, 1975. The State of Qatar reciprocated by opening its diplomatic mission in Dhaka in 1982.
Bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Qatar are based on mutual respect, shared values, common religious ground, shared culture, and tradition.
People-to-people contacts bolstered by more than four hundred thousand Bangladeshi workers, who are highly appreciated as disciplined and hardworking, is one of the dominant features of bilateral relations, according to the MoFA.
Bangladesh and Qatar consider each other as brotherly countries and important development partners in materializing Bangladesh’s Vision 2041 and Qatar’s vision 2030.
