Mahinda Rajapaksa in Dhaka

The red carpet was rolled out as Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa arrived in Dhaka on Friday morning on a two-day official visit.

The prime minister of Sri Lanka will join the celebrations marking the golden jubilee of Bangladesh’s independence and the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

A special flight of the Sri Lankan Airlines carrying Rajapaksa and his entourage members landed at Hazrat Shahjalal (R) International Airport (HISA) at 9:45am.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina received her Sri Lankan counterpart at the airport.

A guard of honor was given to the Sri Lankan premier by a smartly turned out contingent drawn from Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force there.

As part of the programme schedule, the Sri Lankan prime minister placed a wreath at the National Martyrs’ Memorial at Savar at 11am, signed the visitor’s book and planted a sapling there.

The Sri Lankan premier will join the function at the National Parade Ground at 4.30pm.

He will attend a cultural programme and banquet hosted by the Bangladesh Prime Minister at Grand Ball Room at Hotel Intercontinental here at 7.30pm.

On Saturday, Mahinda Rajapaksa will pay homage to Bangabandhu by placing a wreath at his portrait on the premises of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi road number 32 at 10am. He will visit the museum and sign the visitor’s book there.

He will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) at 10.20 am.

Several Memorandums of Understandings (MoUs) will be signed between the two countries in presence of the two heads of the government at 11.40 am.