President ends successful visit to Bangladesh:

B’desh, SL strengthen cooperative ties

President thanks B’desh for unstinted support during humanitarian operation:

Dhanushka GODAKUMBURA in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Following the President’s request the Bangladeshi Premier agreed to release Buddha’s hair relics for public exposition in Sri Lanka to mark the 2600th Sambuddhatva Jayanthi.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa is due in the island today after the successful conclusion of his three-day official visit to Bangladesh.

During his stay in Bangladesh, President Rajapaksa had extensive talks with Bangladesh leaders on strengthening existing ties between the two countries, while achieving success in more profitable ventures with Bangladesh collaboration.

Bangladesh which considers the visit of President Mahinda Rajapaksa a great honour, had made elaborate arrangements to receive the Sri Lankan leader. The Bangladesh media and the Bangladeshi people also paid glowing tributes to President Rajapaksa. Bangladesh President Zillur Rahman, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister Dipu Moni held bilateral talks with President Rajapaksa. Four Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were signed between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

President Rajapaksa also visited the Merul Badda Buddhist Ashram in Dhaka and Bangabandu Sheik Mujibur Rahman Memorial Museum.

The President when visiting this museum constructed in memory of the Father of the Nation, Sheik Mujibur Rahman, paid floral tributes at the museum.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa who also had a meeting with the Bangladesh business community attended a function organized by the Commerce and Industrial Board of that country. Bangladesh President Zillur Rahman accorded a banquet in honour of his Sri Lankan counterpart.

External Affairs Minister Professor G L Peiris, Members of Parliament A H M Azwar and Sajin Vass Gunawardena, Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga and Sri Lankan High Commissioner in Bangladesh Sarath K Weragoda were part of President Rajapaksa’s entourage to Bangladesh.

Earlier, a President’s Media Division report said:

President Mahinda Rajapaksa held wide ranging talks with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on strengthening cooperation between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in numerous sectors. The President thanked Bangladesh for the unstinted support extended to Sri Lanka during the humanitarian operation launched to liberate the people from the clutches of the LTTE terrorists. The President expressed this sentiment during bilateral talks held with Bangladesh Prime Minister at the Bangladesh Prime Minister’s office in Dhaka on Monday. The talks covered a wide range of sectors including economic, trade investment, cultural, education and religious sectors.

Special emphasis was laid on widening trade and investment opportunities between the two countries. Trade between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh is now at a medium level totalling about US $ 30 million annually. President Rajapaksa explained the wide investment opportunities available in Sri Lanka for Bangladeshi investors. The necessity for the trade chambers of both countries to work together in this regard was emphasised at the talks. The two leaders also agreed to share knowledge and technology in the agriculture and fisheries sectors for the mutual benefit of both countries.

Promotion of air traffic between the two countries also figured prominently during the talks. It was revealed that a large number of Bangladesh tourists are eagerly waiting to visit Sri Lanka and to facilitate this, the two leaders agreed to increase the frequency of air traffic between the two countries.

Discussions also centred round the setting up of the BIMSTEC Secretary General’s office in Bangladesh and the appointment of a Sri Lankan as Secretary General.

It was noted that a large number of Bangladesh students were awaiting opportunities to persue higher education in Sri Lanka and nearly 600 students are studying at universities in Chittagong. President Rajapaksa thanked Bangladesh for the facilities provided to the Sri Lankan students and both leaders discussed measures to develop co-operation between the two countries in the field of education. President Rajapaksa thanked Bangladesh Prime Minister Hasina for taking steps to build a special stall at the Sri Dalada Maligawa complex to deposit Sacred Buddhist objects from Bangladesh.

Responding to a request made by President Rajapaksa the Bangladeshi Prime Minister agreed to release the Buddha’s hair relic deposited at Chittagong to be taken to Sri Lanka for a public exposition to mark the 2600th Sri Sambuddhatva Jayanthi commemoration.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who complimented Sri Lanka for wiping out terrorism from its land expressed her deep appreciation of the cordial and friendly bilateral relations existing between the two countries. Both leaders emphasised the need for the two countries to attain a rapid economic development to become middle income earning countries by 2016.

Bangladesh was represented by Ministers Nural Islam Nahid, Abdul Latif Biswas, Abdul Kalam Azad, Begum Matia Chowdhury and Faruk Khan and other senior officials.