Upon her arrival in Myanmar, Prime Minister Hasina was warmly welcomed by Labour Minister Aye Myint and Bangladesh ambassador to Naypyidaw Anup Kumar Chakma at 10.15am local time on Monday. She was greeted with a red carpet reception at the airport and escorted to the Royal Naypyidaw Hotel in a motorcade, where she and her entourage will be staying during their two-day tour. Myanmar children in traditional attire lined the road, waving flags of both nations as her motorcade passed by. The Prime Minister is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with the Prime Ministers of India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Bhutan on the sidelines of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) summit. BIMSTEC is a regional grouping of seven members from South Asia and South East Asia aimed at promoting economic cooperation and development in various sectors. Bangladesh is a key player in trade, investment, and climate change within the group. During her visit, Hasina will meet with Myanmar President Thein Sein, visit the country's parliament, and have a meeting with Speaker Thura Shwe Mann. She is also scheduled to meet with Nobel laureate Aung Sang Suu Kyi and attend a dinner hosted by the Myanmar President. The following day, she will participate in the BIMSTEC summit inauguration and a joint press briefing. This summit, which is two years behind schedule, will bring together leaders from the member countries to discuss common concerns and development priorities. The most recent summit was held in 2008 in New Delhi, with the first summit taking place in 2004 in Bangkok. Three agreements are set to be signed during the summit, including a memorandum of association for a climate change center in India and a memorandum of understanding for 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. Tensions over the Rohingya issue have strained relations between Bangladesh and Myanmar, with bilateral trade amounting to only $100 million. Bangladesh has provided refuge to numerous Rohingya Muslim refugees who fled Myanmar due to sectarian violence. It is estimated that there are hundreds of thousands of unregistered Rohingyas in Bangladesh. Officials stated that the Prime Minister will return to Dhaka on March 4. (File Photo)