Qatar Emir arrives tomorrow

Qatars Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani will arrive in Dhaka tomorrow (Monday) for 24 hours to strengthen ties in multiple areas including trade, defence and investment.

Bangladesh government in a gazette notification has declared the emir as "a very important person." A park in Kalshi area of Mirpur under Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and a road running from Mirpur ECB Chattar to Kalshi Flyover of the capital will be named after the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani.
 
Meanwhile, Bangladesh has taken all necessary preparations to welcome Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, as such a high-level visit is taking place from friendly country nearly after 19 years. The then Emir of Qatar Shaikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani visited Bangladesh in April, 2005. Meanwhile, Dhakas streets are seen decorated with the photos of Qatar Emir, along with Bangladesh President and the Prime Minister ahead of the visit.  

During a tete-a-tete (one-to-one) meeting between the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Qatars Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Bangladesh will highlight its position over Palestine-Israel issues and discuss the other global issues. Discuss labour issues as around 4 lakh legal and illegal labours are staying there.

During the meeting, Prime Minister will once again request the Emir of Qatar to supply some 40 containers of energy which means 1.8-2.5 MTA to meet the energy demand.

The Emir is scheduled to arrive on Monday afternoon by a special flight along with his dozen of Ministers and senior officials, President Mohammed Shahabuddin will receive the emir amid gun salute and a wider ceremony at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

"The visit will play a significant role in further strengthening the brotherly relations between the two countries," a senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Emir will meet with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her office on Tuesday morning and will have tete-a-tete (one-to-one) meeting with the Prime Minister followed by bilateral meeting. Later the two leaders will witness signing ceremony of cooperation documents and join joint press meet.

Later the emir will inaugurate the park in Kalshi area of Mirpur and a road running from Mirpur ECB Chattar to Kalshi Flyover at 3pm.

"We are waiting to see signing of nearly a dozen of agreements and MoUs enhancing trade and investment. These are:  prisoners exchange, avoidance of double taxation, manpower export, cooperation in the field of religion and higher education, LNG and defence cooperation," a senior official said.

During the bi-lateral meeting, Sheikh Hasina will offer the Qatari investors land in economic zones in Bangladesh as Bangladesh is setting up 100 economic zones and different countries are making investments there.

 She will also enquire about the Bangladeshi workers in Qatar, and will request the Qatar Emir to take care of them as some workers are losing their jobs there.

 After signing visitors book there, the emir will head for Bangabhaban on Tuesday afternoon where the president will receive him. President Shahabuddin will host official lunch in honour of the emir at Darbar Hall, Bangabhaban. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud will also have a courtesy meeting with the emir.
 
The emir will have a private meeting with selected business community members at his place of residence.
   
Bangladesh and Qatar want to expand the existing ties with broader cooperation in the areas of manpower, energy, trade and investment following the planned visit of Qatars Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to Bangladesh.  

In March last year, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had a meeting with the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on the sidelines of the United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries (LDC5) in Doha.  

During the meeting, the Primer sought increased energy, particularly LNG, from Qatar to meet the energy demands.  

The State of Qatar recognised Bangladesh as a sovereign State on March 4, 1974 following the 2nd OIC Summit held in February 1974. Qatar assures support for Bangladeshs media sector development too.  

 Bangladesh opened its diplomatic mission in Doha on June 25, 1975. The State of Qatar reciprocated by opening its diplomatic mission in Dhaka in 1982.  

Bangladesh Foreign Ministry has said that bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Qatar are based on mutual respect, shared values, common religious ground, shared culture, and tradition. People-to-people contacts bolstered by more than four hundred thousand Bangladeshi workers who are highly appreciated as disciplined and hardworking is one of the dominant features of bilateral relations.

Bangladesh and Qatar consider each other as brotherly countries and important development partners in materialising Bangladeshs Vision 2041 and Qatars vision 2030.

Qatars Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani is scheduled to depart Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport by a special flight at 6pm Tuesday. the Foreign Minister will see him off at the airport.