PM leaves Maldives for home Monday

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will leave Maldives on Monday after wrapping up her maiden six-day bilateral visit.

“A special VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her entourage members will depart the Velana International Airport at 13:00 (local time) Monday,” said Prime Minister's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim.

The flight is scheduled to arrive at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, here at 5:45pm (BD time) today.

The Prime Minister reached Maldives on December 22 at the invitation of the county's President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

On the second day of her visit on December 23, two MoUs on Recruitment of Qualified Health Professionals and on Cooperation in the Areas of Youth and Sports Development and an agreement for the Elimination of Double Taxation with Respect to the Taxes on Income and the Prevention of Tax Evasion and Avoidance were signed.

Apart from this, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the areas of Healthcare and Medical Sciences was renewed between Bangladesh and Maldives' health ministries.

Bangladesh also gifted 13 military vehicles to the Maldives as a token of friendship between the two South Asian nations.

A joint communique was issued following the bilateral talks and the handing over ceremony of the instruments.

During the visit, the Bangladesh premier held separate meetings with the Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Maldivian Vice-President Faisal Naseem, Speaker of the People's Majlis, national parliament, Mohammed Nasheed and Chief Justice Uz Ahmed Muthasim Adnan.

The Prime Minister addressed the Maldives parliament on December 23 afternoon, reports BSS.

Sheikh Hasina attended a state banquet hosted by the Maldivian President and the country's First Lady in her honor.

On December 24, she joined virtually a community reception accorded by the Bangladeshi expatriates in Male.