PM leaves for Bhutan today

Bangladesh and Bhutan are likely to sign six agreements on areas of cooperation including avoidance of double taxation and river connectivity during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's three-day visit to the Himalayan country beginning today (Tuesday).
Prime Minister leaves the city for Thimphu today morning to attend the International Conference on Autism and Nuero Developmental Disorders.
The three-day conference begins at the Royal Banquet Hall in the Bhutanese capital tomorrow (Wednesday).
Briefing newsmen at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on Monday, Foreign Minister Mahmood Ali said no agreement is expected to be signed on hydroelectricity project on which Bangladesh announced to invest US$1.0 billion.
As the project is still in pre-feasibility stage, the Foreign Minister said, Bangladesh with the new kind of investment idea expects to get its share after the project's execution.
Foreign secretary Mohammad Shahidul Haque was also present among other officials of the MoFA in the briefing.
The Foreign Minister said the project needs to have funds and the country is trying to get additional money from development partners in this regard.  
It will be the Prime Minister's second official tour to the Himalayan kingdom on invitation of her Bhutanese counterpart Tshering Tobgay. She will hold bilateral meeting with him on the same day.
Sheikh Hasina will make a courtesy call on King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and the Queen.
The Foreign Minister said the agreements/MoU will be signed following the bilateral meeting. These are related to avoidance of double taxation, quality standardisation of agriculture and agricultural products, cultural cooperation, river transit for Bhutan for using Bangladesh's river routes, quality control of products and land allotment for Bangladesh chancery in Bhutan.
The PM will also lay the foundation of the Bangladesh Mission building in presence of the King.
Answering a question about the stalled motor vehicle agreement under Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN), Mr Mahmood Ali said the visit will also pursue Bhutan for ratifying the agreement.
The BBIN MVA could not be made effective following refusal of Bhutan's upper parliament to endorse it last December. The lower house, however, endorsed it in June.
The Foreign Minister expressed the hope to make the BBIN MVA effective and said any international, regional and sub-regional cooperation issues require continuous efforts as all these need time to develop.
He said the bilateral meeting will cover issues of common interest including water resources management of river basin, hydro-electricity, sub- regional cooperation and agricultural and trade liberalisation etc.
Apart from the bilateral meeting, the Prime Minister will attend the international conference on Autism and Neo-developmental Disorder (ANDO) to be organised jointly by Bangladesh and Bhutan. She will be the chief guest and will chair a high-level panel.
The conference is expected to be attended by more than 250 high-powered delegation members of policy and government level of 31 countries and representatives of international and civil society members from Unicef, UNDP, UN Women, IOM and UNESCO.
The Foreign Minister, Advisor to the Prime Minister Dr Gowher Rizvi, Chairperson of Suchona Foundation Saima Wazed Hossain and a high-powered delegation will accompany the PM.
smunima@yahoo.com