Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina arrives in Cambodia

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has arrived in Cambodia for a three-day official visit.

The two countries are to sign two treaties and nine agreements during the trip.

The prime minister left Dhaka aboard a Biman Bangladesh flight for the Southeast Asian country at 8:35am on Sunday and arrived around 12:15pm local time, said her Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim.

The prime minister received a red carpet welcome at Phnom Penh International Airport. She was met there by Cambodian Women’s Affairs Minister Ingkantha Phavi, Cambodian Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation EAT Sophea, Bangladesh Ambassador to Cambodia Saida Muna Tasnim and Cambodian Residential Ambassador in Bangladesh Pichkhun Panha.

A motor procession will then lead the prime minister to Hotel Sofitel, where she will stay during her visit.

The prime minister is set to meet with her Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen for bilateral talks. She will also meet with King Norodom Sihamoni.

Hasina plans to pay her respects at Cambodia’s independence memorial in the afternoon and visit the Genocide Museum. She will also pay her respects to a statue of the late King Norodom Sihanouk.

The prime minister will attend a dinner at the Bangladeshi Embassy and meet with expatriates living in the country on the first day of her visit.

The two prime ministers will meet on Monday for bilateral talks before observing the signing of the two treaties and nine agreements.

The agreements will focus on collaboration among top business entities of the two nations and movement of private airlines, Ali said at a media briefing on Thursday.

The nine MoUs will be on the formation of a joint trade council, boosting coordination in implementation of sustainable development goals by 2030, labour and vocational training, information and communication technology, tourism, preservation of war history and memorabilia, expansion of fisheries and aquaculture and investments.

Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies and Royal Academy of Cambodia are expected to sign a MoU to ensure collaboration at the academic level.

Bangladesh has agreed to rename one prominent street in its capital after the founding father of Cambodia and vice versa, said Ali.

The Park Road in Baridhara Diplomatic Zone will be renamed after Norodom Sihanouk, the late king of Cambodia.

Similarly, Cambodia will rename an important street in capital Phnom Penh after Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The prime minister was also accompanied by her sister Sheikh Rehana, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon and Minister of State for Information and Communication Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak.

The prime minister will return to Dhaka on Tuesday afternoon.