Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay arrived in Dhaka on Saturday for a three-day state visit at the invitation of Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus.
During his visit, he held bilateral meetings with the chief adviser, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain, and Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashiruddin, where Bangladesh proposed supplying medicines to Bhutan on a government-to-government (G2G) basis.
The Bhutanese foreign ministry said both sides agreed that the cooperation would ensure affordable and quality healthcare services in Bhutan.
The two leaders held talks in a cordial atmosphere reflecting the deep-rooted friendship between the countries.
They expressed satisfaction over the strong state of bilateral relations and discussed trade, communication, and people-to-people ties. Both sides emphasised the need to boost bilateral trade and strengthen private sector cooperation.
Prime Minister Tobgay also met with Bangladeshi business leaders to explore new avenues for economic and trade partnerships.
Bangladesh expressed interest in supporting the development of Bhutan’s Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC), while both sides welcomed the formation of a Joint Working Group for Bhutan’s Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Kurigram and praised the successful trial run of cargo transport from Chittagong Port to Burimari Land Port.
The Bhutanese prime minister thanked Bangladesh for increasing MBBS and BDS seats for Bhutanese students in government medical colleges to 30 per year, an initiative announced during King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck’s 2024 state visit.
The two sides also expressed satisfaction with ongoing cooperation in human resource development, communication, tourism, and culture.
Two MoUs were signed to formalise the agreements. Bangladesh will allocate ten engineering seats annually for Bhutanese students at Buet and a dedicated seat for a diploma in sports science at BKSP, which will also serve as a home ground for Bhutanese sports teams.
Additionally, Bangladesh proposed a specialised professional training program for Bhutanese experts.
Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to long-term bilateral cooperation and collaboration in regional and international forums such as SAARC and BIMSTEC. Prime Minister Tobgay expressed gratitude for the warm hospitality extended to him and his delegation and invited Chief Adviser Yunus to visit Bhutan at a mutually convenient time.