Myanmar Labour Minister Aye Myint and Bangladesh ambassador to Naypyidaw Anup Kumar Chakma greeted her at 10.15am local time Monday. Hasina was welcomed with a red carpet reception at the airport and then transported to the Royal Naypyidaw Hotel in a motorcade. Children from Myanmar in traditional attire lined the road, waving flags from both countries as her motorcade passed by. The Prime Minister and her team will be staying at this hotel for the duration of her two-day tour. She is set to hold bilateral meetings with the Prime Ministers of India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Bhutan on the sidelines of the summit. The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) includes seven member countries from South Asia and South East Asia. The group was established in 1997 to promote economic cooperation, and has since grown to focus on 14 priority sectors of development and common concerns. Bangladesh is the lead country in trade, investment, and climate change within the group. During her visit, the Prime Minister will meet with Myanmar President Thein Sein, visit the country’s parliament, meet with Speaker Thura Shwe Mann, have a meeting with Nobel laureate Aung Sang Suu Kyi, and attend a dinner hosted by the Myanmar President. She will also attend the inauguration of the BIMSTEC summit and participate in a joint press briefing on the second day of her visit. The most recent summit was held in 2008 in New Delhi, while the first was in 2004 in Bangkok. The summit is expected to result in the signing of three agreements. These agreements include a memorandum of association (MoA) for the establishment of a climate change center in India, a memorandum of understanding for the creation of a Cultural Industries Observatory in Bhutan, and a MoA for the establishment of a permanent secretariat in Bangladesh, which was approved over two years ago. The city of Dhaka has already provided a location in Gulshan for the Secretariat. The Rohingya issue has caused tension between Bangladesh and Myanmar, with bilateral trade between the two countries currently at only $100 million. Bangladesh has provided refuge to many Rohingya Muslim refugees who had fled Myanmar due to violence. Officials estimate that there are hundreds of thousands of unregistered Rohingyas in Bangladesh. The Prime Minister is expected to return to Dhaka on March 4, according to officials. (File Photo)