Published : 26 Aug 2026, 03:46 PM
Updated : 08 Sep 2026, 09:36 AM
Bhutan's King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck has met Bangladesh President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir during a stopover in Dhaka while travelling from Singapore to Bhutan.
The special aircraft carrying the Bhutanese king stopped at Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka in the early hours of Wednesday, President's Press Secretary Md Sarwar Alam said in a media statement.
During his nearly hour-long stay at the airport, President Fakhrul welcomed the king at the VVIP Lounge and held a courtesy meeting with him.
The two discussed different issues of mutual interest in a cordial atmosphere.
During the meeting, the president invited the Bhutanese king and members of the royal family to make a state visit to Bangladesh at a convenient time.
In response, King Jigme Khesar invited the president and the prime minister of Bangladesh to visit Bhutan at a mutually convenient time.
The Bhutanese king also conveyed his sincere congratulations and best wishes to Fakhrul on assuming office as president.
The president, on behalf of the people and government of Bangladesh, extended warm greetings to the king and members of the Bhutanese royal family.
The king reciprocated with his good wishes for the people and government of Bangladesh.
During the talks, Fakhrul said Bangladesh and Bhutan share deep and historic ties.
"Bhutan has always held a special place in our hearts, as it was the first country in the world to recognise Bangladesh on Dec 6, 1971," he said.
The president also recalled with deep respect the special affection and goodwill shown towards Bangladesh by the Bhutanese king's father, King Jigme Singye Wangchuck.
Highlighting the shared aspirations of Bangladesh and Bhutan for development and prosperity, the Bhutanese king stressed the need to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in areas including education, trade and investment.
He briefed the president on his visionary Gelephu Mindfulness City project and sought Bangladesh's participation and cooperation in the initiative.
Fakhrul expressed keen interest in the project and praised the initiative, saying Bangladesh was ready to work closely with Bhutan to advance transformative initiatives in the region for mutual welfare, prosperity and sustainable development.
Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, Bhutan's ambassador to Bangladesh and senior government officials were present during the courtesy meeting.
The special aircraft carrying the Bhutanese king left Dhaka for Bhutan around 6:30am.
