Indian President arrives in Dhaka

Bangladesh rolled out the red carpet to welcome Indian President Ram Nath Kovind as he arrived on Wednesday on a three-day visit to join the Golden Jubilee celebration of Bangladesh's Independence.

President M Abdul Hamid along with his wife Rashida Khanam received his Indian counterpart at Hazrat Shahjalal (R.) International Airport (HISA).

Earlier, a special Indian Airlines flight carrying Kovind and his entourage members landed at 11:10am (BST) in the airport.

In his maiden tour to Dhaka, Kovind is being accompanied by Indian first lady Shrimati Savita Kovind and their daughter Swathi Covind, India's education minister and two parliament members alongside several senior officials.

President Hamid received his Indian counterpart with a bouquet at the airport while Rashida Hamid also presented a bouquet to the Indian first lady at the airport.

Maintaining the health guidelines due to pandemic situation, the Indian president was given an honour guard with 21-gun salute by a smartly turned out contingent drawn from Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force there.

The visiting delegation members also followed health rules, including wearing masks and maintaining social distancing, on the occasion.

Abdul Hamid and his Indian counterpart Kovind enjoyed the state honour staying on the makeshift saluting dais while the national anthem of the respective states was played.

The state guest also inspected the parade and subsequently both the Presidents introduced the respective countries delegation to each other.

The 14th Indian president is the only foreign dignitary participating in the event of December 16 here at the invitation of his Bangladesh counterpart Abdul Hamid to represent India at the celebrations as a guest of honour.

Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque, Agriculture Minister Dr. Muhammad Abdur Razzaque, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam, among others, were present at the airport to welcome the Indian president.

Besides, dean of diplomatic core, cabinet secretary, chiefs of the three services, principal secretary to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), Inspector General of Police (IGP), secretaries concerned to the President's office and senior civil and military officials were also present there.

After the welcome ceremony at the airport, Kovind was escorted to the Tejgaon old airport from where he was flown by helicopter to National Memorial at Savar on the outskirts of the capital.

The Indian President placed wreath at the Memorial to pay homage to the memory of Bangladesh's nine-month-long 1971 Liberation War martyrs, planted a sapling and signed the visitors' book there.

Later, he will visit Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Museum in capital's Dhanmondi no. 32 to pay tributes to country's founding Father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the greatest Bangalee of all times, while Bangladesh simultaneously is celebrating two historic mega events -

Bangabandhu's birth centenary and the Bangladesh's Independence's Golden Jubilee.

Later in the afternoon, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will pay a courtesy call on the Indian president at his suit in Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel.

President Hamid will host a banquet in his honour to be joined by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Bangabhaban in the evening after talks with his counterpart.

The Indian president will present his Bangladesh counterpart two replicas--Russian made T-55 tanks and Mig-21 vintage aircraft used during the 1971 war as gifts, said a Bangabhaban spokesman.

He will also enjoy a cultural event at the Bangabhaban, reports BSS.

On the second day of the visit, the Indian president will join as the "Guest of Honor" the National Parade Ground function on December 16 to mark the golden jubilee of the Victory Day of Bangladesh.

In the afternoon, Kovind will take part in a function titled “Great Victory Heroes” in the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban to pay respect to Bangladesh's Father of the Nation and to celebrate the joy of victory.

President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Jatiya Sangsad speaker and other dignitaries are expected to attend the event.

On the third day of his visit on December 17, the Indian president is scheduled to inaugurate and inspect the newly renovated section of Kali Temple and the President is scheduled to fly for New Delhi in the afternoon.