President reaches Berlin for health checkup

President M Abdul Hamid, who is now on a 12-day visit to Germany and the United Kingdom (UK) for health checkup and treatment of eyes, reached Berlin on Saturday.

“A regular aircraft of Qatar Airways (QY639) carrying the President landed at Berlin Brandenburg Airport at about 1:30pm [Berlin time],” a Bangabhaban spokesman quoted president’s press secretary Md Joynal Abedin as saying over phone from there.

Bangladesh Ambassador to Germany Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan received the president along with his wife Rashida Khanam with a bouquet at the airport, reports BSS.

President Hamid is scheduled to undergo  medical checkup at Charite University Hospital, Berlin. Besides, he is expected to hold a meeting with his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier on October 14 at 7pm (local time), the spokesman added.

Earlier, Abdul Hamid left Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at 4:25am on Saturday.

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Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Huq, Dean of Diplomatic Corps and Ambassador of the Vatican to Bangladesh Archbishop George Kocherry, British High Commissioner to Dhaka Robert Chatterton Dickson, Ambassador of Germany to Bangladesh Achim Tröster, cabinet secretary, chiefs of the three services, principal secretary to the prime minister's office, inspector general of police (IGP), and other civil and military officials saw the president off at the VVIP lounge of the airport.

The head of the state is scheduled to undergo his health checkup at Charite University Hospital in Germany and Eye Hospital in London.

The president is expected to return home by a regular flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines Limited from London on October 22.  

The 77-year-old has been suffering from Glaucoma for long.

He used to have his health checkup in London and Germany while he was the speaker in the Jatiya Sangsad.