President of Timor-Leste José Ramos-Horta was accorded a red carpet reception on his arrival in Dhaka on Saturday (Dec 14) night on a four-day official visit. A special Singapore Airlines flight carrying the Timor-Leste president and his entourage landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) in Dhaka around 10.40 p.m. The Chief Adviser of the interim government Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus received him amid gun salute and guard of honour, local media reported.
Ramos-Horta was directly taken to Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel from the airport where he will be staying during his visit. During his stay in Dhaka from Dec 14-17, he is being accompanied by a 19-member delegation, including the Timor-Leste’s Foreign Minister.
The President will engage in a series of high-level meetings and events aimed at strengthening bilateral ties between the two nations. Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain will meet Ramos-Horta on Sunday morning. Later, Ramos-Horta will hold discussions with Chief Adviser Dr Yunus, which will be followed by a delegation-level meeting, according to the programme schedule of the foreign ministry.
After the meeting, a joint press appearance will be held, during which the two countries are expected to sign agreements on visa exemption and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Foreign Office Consultations (FOC).
Honorary consul of Timor-Leste in Bangladesh Kutubuddin Ahmed and Bangladesh Football Federation President Tabith Awal will meet Ramos-Horta.
The Timor-Leste president will call on Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin at Bangabhaban Monday. He will also visit the National Martyrs’ Memorial in Savar to pay homage to the heroes of Bangladesh’s Liberation War.
Ramos-Horta will attend the 54th Victory Day celebrations, marking Bangladesh’s historic victory in 1971.
On Dec 17, the Timor-Leste President will deliver a lecture at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) auditorium on “The Challenges of Peace in the Contemporary World.” He is expected to interact with Bangladeshi students and young leaders, sharing his experiences of leading his country’s independence movement, the role of the people, and the post-independence aspirations of Timor-Leste.
President Ramos-Horta will leave Dhaka on Tuesday afternoon concluding his visit.
