Bangladesh and Bhutan sign two MoUs on internet connectivity and healthcare cooperation

Bangladesh and Bhutan on Saturday signed two Memorandums of Understanding—one on health sector cooperation and another on internet connectivity—following a bilateral meeting between the leaders of the two nations.

The first MoU, on the Appointment of Health Workforce, was inked between Bangladesh’s Health Services Division under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Bhutan’s Ministry of Health. Md Saidur Rahman, secretary of the Health Services Division, signed the agreement on Bangladesh’s behalf.

The second MoU, covering the Trade of International Internet Bandwidth and Other Telecommunication Services, was signed between the Royal Government of Bhutan and the Government of Bangladesh. Abdun Naser Khan, secretary of the Posts & Telecommunications Division of the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications & Information Technology, represented Bangladesh in signing the document.

Chief Adviser Prof. Muhammad Yunus and Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay witnessed the signing ceremony and the exchange of documents, according to Chief Adviser’s Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder.

The MoUs were formalised after a one-on-one meeting between the chief adviser and Prime Minister Tobgay, followed by official talks led by the two leaders at the Chief Adviser’s Office in Tejgaon, Dhaka.

Prime Minister Tobgay arrived in Dhaka earlier in the morning for a two-day state visit at the invitation of Chief Adviser Yunus. He was received by the chief adviser at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) around 8:15am upon the arrival of his Drukair flight.

At the airport’s VIP lounge, the two leaders held a brief discussion during which the Bhutanese premier asked about the impacts of Friday’s earthquake and conveyed his condolences to the families of those who lost their lives.

Afterward, Tobgay was escorted to a ceremonial saluting dais, where he was given a 19-gun salute and a guard of honour.

From the airport, the Bhutanese prime minister proceeded to the National Martyrs’ Memorial in Savar to pay tribute to the heroes of Bangladesh’s Liberation War. He laid a wreath at the altar and planted a sapling on the memorial grounds.

Later in the afternoon, Foreign Adviser M Touhid Hossain and Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin called on Prime Minister Tobgay.

The Bhutanese premier is scheduled to attend an official banquet in his honour later in the evening.