Bangladesh rolled out the red carpet as Brunei Darussalam Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah arrived in Dhaka on his first state visit to the country on Saturday afternoon.
President Md Abdul Hamid warmly received the sultan at the VVIP terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport amid a 21-gun salute upon his arrival by a special flight.
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam and Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen were, among others, present.
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The Brunei sultan was accompanied by his royal family members, ministers and senior government officials.
He was given a guard of honour by a combined contingent of Bangladesh army, navy and air force in presence of President Abdul Hamid, senior ministers and high civil and military officials.
The sultan of Brunei and the Bangladesh president stood on a makeshift dais when a military band played the national anthems of both countries.
Foreign Minister Momen has expressed optimism that the state visit by the sultan would “usher in a new chapter” in the excellent bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Brunei.
The visit was originally scheduled for October 14-16, but later it was rescheduled for October 15-16.
Brunei has one of the world's highest standards of living due to its abundant oil and gas reserves.
The Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, is one of the world's longest-reigning and few remaining absolute monarchs. He was crowned in August 1968 following the abdication of his father, Sir Haji Omar Ali Saifuddin.
From the airport, the Brunei sultan went to the National Martyrs' Memorial, Savar.
The sultan placed a wreath paying homage to the Liberation War martyrs, signed the visitors’ book, and planted a sapling there.
In the evening, Foreign Minister Momen met the sultan at his place of residence and discussed various issues of mutual interest, said an official.
The Brunei sultan held a meeting with President Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban on Saturday evening before joining a dinner hosted by the president.
He will hold a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at 3:50pm on Sunday apart from his other engagements during the visit.
Bangladesh and Brunei are likely to sign three bilateral cooperation documents, including an agreement for introducing direct flights between the two countries, Momen told reporters.
Two other cooperation documents will be signed on the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers and the recognition of certificates for the two countries’ seafarers.
“We believe that the visit will be a successful and productive one,” Momen said.
On energy cooperation with Brunei, Momen said Bangladesh is having a discussion in this area and exploring all available options.
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah will also visit the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum in Dhaka’s Dhanmondi 32 to pay homage to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on Sunday.
Family members of Bangabandhu will receive him there, according to a draft programme schedule.
In April 2019, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina made a historic visit to Brunei Darussalam, which marked a new milestone as the countries signed several MoUs for various types of cooperation, including in sectors like gas supply, fisheries, agriculture, livestock, youth and sports, and art and culture.
Currently, there may be around 15,000 Bangladeshi workers in Brunei.
The country welcomes foreign workers to work in Brunei, including Bangladeshis, as long as the recruitment process is clean and all documents are in place.
Foreign Minister Momen is scheduled to see off Brunei Sultan at the airport after the completion of the visit, likely on Sunday evening.
Foreign Minister of Brunei Darussalam Erywan Yusof met his Bangladesh counterpart Momen at the state guesthouse Padma on Friday night.
During their talks, the two ministers exchanged views on important aspects of bilateral relations and stressed the importance of further strengthening the level of trade and investment for the mutual benefit of the two countries.
They agreed to explore new areas of cooperation as well as to enhance connectivity for giving trade, investment, tourism, people-to-people contacts, etc further boost in the days ahead.
They also exchanged views on the challenges brought about by the pandemic and the conflicts in Europe, particularly in the form of food and energy insecurity and supply chain disruptions.
