Shawdesh desk:

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has arrived in Dhaka this morning to take part in celebration of birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Golden Jubilee of Bangladesh’s independence.

A chartered flight carrying Sri Lankan Prime Minister and his entourages landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 9:50am.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina received Lankan Prime Minister with bouquet at the airport at 10:11am.

Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam, were present, among others.

Mahinda Rajapaksa is on a two-day visit to Dhaka and the second head of state to be attending the gala programmes arranged by Bangladesh to celebrate the birth centenary of the country’s founding father.

He is leading a 27-member delegation, which includes Education Minister GL Peiris, State Minister of Regional Cooperation Tharaka Balasuriya, State Minister of Batik, Handloom and Local Apparel Products Dayasiri Jayasekara, State Minister of Rural Housing and Construction and Building Material Industries Indika Anuruddha and State Minister of Money and Capital Market and State Enterprise Reforms Ajit Nivrad Cabraal.

After arrival, he received guard of honour accorded by a smartly turn-out contingent of the Armed Forces drawn from the three services. National anthems of both countries played. Nineteen-gun salute are heralded in the air to welcome the Sri Lankan Premier.

From the airport, Sri Lankan Prime Minister will go to National Mausoleum at Savar to pay tribute to the martyrs of Bangladesh Liberation war.

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen and Bangladesh Bank Governor Fazle Kabir will call on the Sri Lankan Premier at the Presidential Suite of Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa will attend the ongoing function commemorating birth centenary of Bangabandhu at at the National Parade Ground this (Friday) evening.

He will address the third consecutive day of 10-day programme titled ‘Mujib Chironton’ as guest of honour.

The Sri Lankan Prime Minister will attend the banquet and a cultural show hosted by Prime Miniser Sheikh Hasina at Grand Ball Room of Hotel InterContinental Dhaka tonight (Friday night).

He will visit the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi-32 and pay homage to the Father of the Nation Saturday morning.

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa will hold high-level bilateral meetings with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Ganabhaban and according to Sri Lankan newspaper reports, he is expected to sign a number of agreements in various sectors such as agriculture, technical education, health and cultural cooperation.

He will go to Bangabhaban and make a courtesy call on President Abdul Hamid on Saturday afternoon.

The Sri Lankan Prime Minister will leave Dhaka for Colombo in the evening.