Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa gets warm welcome as he arrives in Dhaka

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has welcomed her Sri Lankan counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport as he arrived in Dhaka on Friday morning on a two-day official visit.

The Sri Lankan prime minister is the second among the world leaders to attend the celebrations of the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the golden jubilee of Bangladesh's independence.

Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih was the first who attended the program on March 17.

The VVIP aircraft of Sri Lankan Airlines, carrying the Sri Lankan prime minister along with his wife and other entourage, landed at the airport at 9:45am.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina received him at the VVIP tarmac of the airport presenting him a bouquet.

Mahinda Rajapaksa was given a guard of honour by a smartly turned out contingent drawn from Bangladesh Army, Navy, and Air Force at the airport.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, along with his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina, receives a guard of honour presented by a contingent of armed forces at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on Friday, March 19, 2021 | Focus Bangla

Both the prime ministers witnessed the state honour staying on the makeshift dais while the national anthem of the respective countries was played. Ministers, state ministers, civil and military high officials were, among others, present at the airport.

From the airport, the visiting Sri Lankan prime minister will move to the National Memorial in Savar to pay tributes to the martyrs of the Liberation War of Bangladesh.

Mahinda Rajapaksa's visit to Dhaka will be followed by three other heads of state and government of Nepal, Bhutan, and India.

In the afternoon, the Sri Lankan prime minister will attend the National Parade Square function at Tejgaon as the guest of honour.

In the evening, he will attend a cultural program and banquet to be hosted by the Bangladesh prime minister at Grand Ball Room of Hotel InterContinental.

On Saturday, Rajapaksa will have bilateral talks with his Bangladeshi counterpart at her office and then there would be signing of MoUs on different fields. Both the leaders would witness the signing ceremony.

In the afternoon, he will meet President Md Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban.