Prince Aga Khan, the 49th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims and founder and chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network, is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on Monday on a two-day official visit following an invitation of the government.
During his visit, he is expected to hold talks with President Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and other senior government officials, says a press release. He is also expected to sign a protocol of cooperation between the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) and the government.
The AKDN has had a historic presence in Bangladesh, working for over three decades on early childhood development, pre-tertiary education, and financial services.
The Aga Khan Foundation and its partners have delivered early childhood education to over 30,000 children and parents in difficult-to-reach places including urban slums and disaster prone areas.
Besides, the Aga Khan School Dhaka offers international quality education to over 1,200 students, with over 100 teachers, all of whom are Bangladeshi nationals. The school is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.
The AKDN is a founding shareholder in the Industrial Promotion and Development Company (IPDC), the first private, non-banking financial institution in Bangladesh, established in partnership with the Government in 1981.
In addition, the HBL Bank, majority owned by the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development, has five branches in Bangladesh with plans for further expansion.
