Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed wishes to visit Bangladesh in March next year to celebrate the birth centenary of Bangabandhu, if the Covid-19 situation improves.
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen revealed the matter at the cabinet meeting on Monday after recently visiting the Turkish foreign minister.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina chaired the meeting virtually from her official residence Ganabhaban, while other ministers and secretaries participated from the Secretariat.
After the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam, while talking to the reporters, said that the foreign minister recently visited Turkey and briefed the cabinet about his recent visit.
On September 14, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina virtually inaugurated the newly-constructed Bangladesh Chancery Complex in Ankara, Turkey.
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen at a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Presidential Complex in Ankara on September 16, 2020 | UNB
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen was present there with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu at the inaugural ceremony.
Momen also met with Turkey’s President Erdogan on that visit.
The cabinet secretary quoting the foreign minister said that Erdogan wanted to visit Bangladesh to celebrate the birth centenary of Bangabandhu if the Covid-19 situation improves.
While talking to Dhaka Tribune on Monday afternoon, Foreign Minister AK Momen said that the Turkish president gladly accepted our prime minister’s invitation to visit Bangladesh.
“Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, ‘I would love to come to Bangladesh’,” told Momen.
Responding to a question, Momen also said that the Turkish president wants to visit Bangladesh on March 17, 2021, on the occasion of the birthday of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. “He is very excited to visit Bangladesh.”
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The foreign minister also said that Bangladesh is a member of D-8. This year’s D-8 summit is expected to be held in Dhaka. If this summit takes place physically, then Erdogan may come to Bangladesh even earlier, to join the summit. “If the Covid-19 situation remains unchanged then the summit will be held virtually.”
The D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation, also known as Developing-8, is an organization for developing cooperation among the following countries: Bangladesh, Egypt, Nigeria, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Pakistan, and Turkey.
Foreign Minister Momen added that before the visit of the Turkish president, their foreign minister will visit Bangladesh. “Hopefully he [Cavusoglu] will come to Dhaka soon.”
