Bhutan King Meets Bangladesh President Mirza Fakhrul During Brief Dhaka Transit

Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck met Bangladesh President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir during a brief transit stop at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport early Wednesday, according to a statement from Bangabhaban. The Bhutanese monarch was travelling from Singapore to Bhutan when his special aircraft made a roughly one-hour stopover in Dhaka. During the visit, President Mirza Fakhrul met the King at the airport’s VVIP Lounge, where the two held cordial discussions on matters of mutual interest.

During the meeting, the Bangladeshi President invited King Jigme Khesar and members of the Bhutanese Royal Family to visit Bangladesh officially at a convenient time. The Bhutanese King responded by inviting President Mirza Fakhrul and Bangladesh’s Prime Minister to visit Bhutan. King Jigme Khesar also congratulated Mirza Fakhrul on taking office as President and conveyed his best wishes to him. The Bangladesh President, in return, extended greetings to the King and the Royal Family on behalf of Bangladesh’s government and people.

The discussions also touched on the longstanding relationship between the two countries. President Mirza Fakhrul highlighted Bhutan’s historic role as the first country in the world to recognise Bangladesh as an independent nation on December 6, 1971. He also recalled the goodwill shown towards Bangladesh by the King’s father, former Bhutanese monarch Jigme Singye Wangchuck.

The two leaders discussed opportunities to strengthen bilateral cooperation, particularly in areas such as education, trade and investment. King Jigme Khesar also briefed the Bangladeshi President on the Gelephu Mindfulness City project, a major development initiative in Bhutan, and invited Bangladesh to participate in and support the project.

President Mirza Fakhrul welcomed the initiative and expressed Bangladesh’s willingness to cooperate with Bhutan on regional projects aimed at promoting economic growth, sustainable development and shared prosperity. Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, Bhutan’s Ambassador to Bangladesh and senior government officials were also present during the meeting. Following the brief stopover, the King’s special aircraft departed Dhaka for Bhutan at around 6:30 am local time.