Upon her arrival in Myanmar, Prime Minister Hasina was welcomed by Myanmar Labour Minister Aye Myint and Bangladesh ambassador to Naypyidaw Anup Kumar Chakma at 10.15am local time on Monday. She received a warm reception with a red carpet at the airport and was escorted to the Royal Naypyidaw Hotel in a motorcade, where she and her entourage will be staying during her two-day tour. As part of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) summit, Hasina is set to have bilateral meetings with the Prime Ministers of India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Bhutan. This regional grouping, established in 1997, aims to promote economic cooperation among seven member countries from South Asia and South East Asia. Bangladesh is leading in trade and investment, as well as climate change initiatives within the group. Additionally, during her visit, Hasina is scheduled to meet with Myanmar President Thein Sein, visit the country's parliament, and have a meeting with Nobel laureate Aung Sang Suu Kyi. The summit will also include the inauguration and joint press briefing on the second day of her visit. The most recent summit took place in 2008 in New Delhi, while the first was held in 2004 in Bangkok. During the summit, it is anticipated that three agreements will be signed, including a memorandum of association for establishing a climate change center in India and a memorandum of understanding for creating a Cultural Industries Observatory in Bhutan. Additionally, a memorandum of association will be signed to establish a permanent secretariat in Bangladesh, which was approved over two years ago. Dhaka has already allocated a location in Gulshan for the Secretariat. The issue of Rohingya has caused tension between Bangladesh and Myanmar, with the bilateral trade volume between the two countries currently at a low $100 million. Bangladesh has provided refuge to many Rohingya Muslim refugees who fled Myanmar due to sectarian violence, with officials estimating there are several hundred thousand unregistered Rohingyas in Bangladesh. Officials stated that the Prime Minister will return to Dhaka on March 4. (File Photo)