Palestinian president leaves Dhaka
UNB
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas left Dhaka for home yesterday afternoon wrapping up his three-day official visit to Bangladesh, reports UNB. A special aircraft carrying the Palestinian President and his entourage left Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport here at 2:45 pm. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina saw Mahmoud Abbas off at the airport and presented him a bouquet. Earlier, a smartly turned out contingent gave a static guard of honour to Mahmoud Abbas. Finance Minister AMA Muhith, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md. Shahriar Alam, Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam, PMs Principal Secretary Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, Senior PMO Secretary Suraiya Begum and Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque were also present at the airport. During his stay in Dhaka, Mahmoud Abbas met President Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban and led the Palestinian delegation to the official talks with Bangladesh at the Prime Ministers Office on Thursday.
He also held a tete-a-tete with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the PMO on Thursday while Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Begum Raushan Ershad met him today. Mahmoud Abbas
visited the National Mausoleum at Savar and placed wreath to pay tributes to the freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives for the independence of Bangladesh in 1971.
He also visited Bangabandhu Memorial Museum and paid homage to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Intergovernmental Joint Committee was signed between Bangladesh and Palestine in the presence of Sheikh Hasina and Mahmoud Abbas.
Bangladesh Foreign Minister AH Mahmoud Ali and Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al Maliki signed the MoU. Under the MoU, regular foreign office consultation between the two countries would be held.
Abbas attended a cultural programme followed by a dinner hosted by President Hamid at Darbar Hall of Bangabhaban on Thursday.
The entourage of President Abbas included Palestinian Foreign Minister Dr Riad Al Maliki, Chief Justice Mahmuod S.A. Alhabbash, Presidential Spokesman Nabil Aburudainah, Advisor for Diplomatic Affairs Dr. Majdi A.M. Khalidi, Chief Security Official Major General Shehada Ismal, Chief of Protocol Ambassador Hussein Hussein, Presidents Physician Dr. Naim Sadqi Hussein.
