Sri Lankan President due tomorrow

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa will arrive in the city tomorrow (Monday) on a three-day state visit to Bangladesh at the invitation of President M Zillur Rahman, reports BSS. The Sri Lankan First Lady will accompany Rajapaksa during his visit, foreign ministry sources said. President M Zillur Rahman will receive his Lankan counterpart at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 12.30 pm. The arrival of Rajapaksa at the airport will be heralded by a 21-gun salute, to be followed by a guard of honour. After a warm welcome at the airport, the Lankan President will straight drive to Sonargaon Hotel, where he will be staying during the visit. During his stay, the President will hold official talks with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, while Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni will call on him. Rajapaksa will call on President M Zillur Rahman and will join a state banquet and dinner to be hosted by him and the Prime Minister respectively. Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) will host a luncheon in honour of the Lankan President. The President will visit the National Memorial at Savar to pay homage to the martyrs of the War of Liberation in 1971.