Bangladesh and Qatar will sign 11 cooperation documents- six agreements and five MoUs as Dhaka is ready to welcome Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on Monday afternoon, UNB reported.

Documents on trade and investment, avoidance of double taxation, manpower export will also be signed.

The emir of Qatar will arrive on Monday on a two-day state visit by a special flight at the invitation of the president of Bangladesh.

The government, in a gazette notification, has already declared the emir as a very important person during his two-day visit to Bangladesh.

Some of the Dhaka streets are seen decorated with the photos of Qatar’s emir, along with Bangladesh president and the prime minister ahead of the visit.

Such a high-level 24-hour visit is taking place from friendly country Qatar nearly after 19 years.

The then Emir of Qatar Shaikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani visited Bangladesh in April, 2005.

President Mohammed Shahabuddin will receive the emir amid gun salute and a wider ceremony at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

On Tuesday morning, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will receive the emir at her office.

They will have tête-à-tête (one-to-one) meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office which will be followed by bilateral meeting.

The two leaders will witness signing of cooperation documents and join a joint press meet.

After signing visitors' book there, the emir will head for Bangabhaban on Tuesday afternoon where the president will receive him.

President Shahabuddin will host official lunch in honour of the emir at Darbar Hall, Bangabhaban.

A road and a park of the capital will be named after the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani.

The emir will inaugurate the park in Kalshi area of Mirpur under Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and a road running from Mirpur ECB Chattar to Kalshi Flyover at 3:00 pm.

The emir will have a private meeting with selected business community members at his place of residence.

He is scheduled to depart Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport by a special flight at 6:00 pm Tuesday.

Bangladesh and Qatar want to expand the existing ties with broader cooperation in the areas of manpower, energy, trade and investment following the planned visit of Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to Bangladesh.

In March last year, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had a meeting with the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on the sidelines of the United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries (LDC5) in Doha.

She sought increased energy, particularly LNG, from Qatar to meet the energy demands.

The State of Qatar recognised Bangladesh as a sovereign State on March 4, 1974 following the 2nd OIC Summit held in February 1974.

Bangladesh opened its diplomatic mission in Doha on June 25, 1975. The State of Qatar reciprocated by opening its diplomatic mission in Dhaka in 1982.

Bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Qatar are based on mutual respect, shared values, common religious ground, shared culture, and tradition.

Bangladesh and Qatar consider each other as brotherly countries and important development partners in materialising Bangladesh’s Vision 2041 and Qatar’s vision 2030.

bd-pratidin/GR