President Abdullah Gül paid an official visit to Bangladesh from February 12-13.

Having been greeted with an official welcome ceremony by the Bangladesh President, Mohammad Zillur Rahman, at Zia International Airport in Dakka, President Gül inspected the guards of honour after the national anthems had been played.

Welcoming Ceremony

Planting a Sapling

 

Welcoming Ceremony

 

After laying a wreath at the National Martyrs’ Memorial, President Gül planted a sapling.

He later received separately the Bangladesh FM, Dr. Dipu Moni, and the Bangladesh Finance Minister, Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, at the hotel where he is staying.

 

Meeting with Businessmen

Receptions

 

President with Businessmen

 

After a tête á tête talk, the two presidents chaired the talks between their delegations and held a joint press conference. President Gül later attended a dinner given by his Bangladeshi counterpart at Bangabhaban Palace.

 

President’s Receptions

 

On the second day of his visit, President Gül attended a working breakfast given by the Federation of the Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Dakka. Delivering a speech there, President Gül remarked that it was time to turn the sisterhood between the two countries into something that would be to the advantage of both. “Thanks to warm hearts of our peoples, we are narrowing the distance between our countries ” said the President.

President Gül later received separately the former vice president of the Islamic Development Bank, Enam Chowdhury; businessman Shahid Doha; the main opposing party – Nationalist Party – leader and former PM, Khaleda Zia and the Chairman of the Turkey-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Fikret Çiçek, and his accompanying delegation at the hotel where he is staying.

He later attended a luncheon that was given by Bangladeshi PM Hasena.

 

Honorary Doctorate Ceremony

Dakka

 

Honorary Doctorate Ceremony at Dakka University

 

President Gül was also granted an honorary doctorate by President Rahman at Dakka University.

President Gül later visited the International Turkish Umit School in Dakka and was informed about the activities of the school by the principals.

During his schedule in Bangladesh, the two leaders reviewed the evaluated the possibilities to develop the bilateral relations, including economic and commercial relations, between the two countries.

 

President at a Turkish School

 

Dakka