Bhutan PM Tshering Tobgay landed in Dhaka on Saturday for a three-day state visit. Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus welcomed him at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. The Bhutan PM Tshering Tobgay Bangladesh visit focuses on deepening Bhutan Bangladesh bilateral ties Tobgay. It comes hours after a deadly earthquake struck the nation. Key meetings aim to advance trade and energy pacts.
This Bhutan PM Tshering Tobgay Bangladesh visit highlights South Asia’s push for resilient partnerships. Quake recovery efforts underscore urgency in regional cooperation. A potential free trade agreement could unlock hydropower exports from Bhutan and market access for Bangladesh goods. Such moves stabilise economies amid climate risks and border dynamics. Neighbours like India and Nepal watch closely for spillover effects on SAARC revival.
Yunus Welcomes Bhutan PM in Dhaka
Professor Muhammad Yunus greeted Tshering Tobgay at 8:15am local time. A Drukair flight brought the Bhutanese delegation to the capital. The two leaders met briefly in the VIP lounge. Tobgay asked about damages from Friday’s earthquake. He offered condolences to victims’ families.
The 5.7-magnitude quake hit near Narsingdi at 10:38am on November 21, 2025. It killed at least five people. Around 100 suffered injuries. Buildings cracked in Dhaka. Fires erupted in Baridhara and Gazaria. Power outages followed as seven stations shut down. Dhaka University students and Gazipur factory workers numbered among the wounded.
Yunus thanked Tobgay for his empathy. The gesture set a tone of solidarity. Bangladesh’s interim government values such support during crises.
Ceremonial Guard of Honour
A 19-gun salute echoed at a makeshift dais. Troops presented a guard of honour. Tobgay inspected the parade. He then travelled to Savar. At the National Martyrs’ Memorial, he laid a wreath. He signed the visitors’ book to honour Liberation War heroes. The ceremony reflected deep respect. Bangladesh and Bhutan share 1971 roots. Bhutan backed Dhaka’s independence bid. This visit revives that spirit.
Agenda of Tshering Tobgay State Visit Bangladesh
Talks unfold over three days, from November 22 to 24, 2025. Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain meets Tobgay first. Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin follows. A 3pm tête-à-tête with Yunus caps the afternoon. An official banquet honours the guest that evening.
Sunday brings delegation-level discussions. Energy, trade, and tourism top the list. Bhutan eyes Bangladesh’s Kurigram Special Economic Zone. Gelephu Mindfulness City could link up. Religious tourism features prominently. Bhutan promotes Buddhist sites. Bangladeshi monks historically spread the faith there.
The Bhutan MFA announced the itinerary. It stems from Yunus’s September invitation. Tobgay accepted during UN General Assembly sidelines. No MoUs sign yet. Officials hint at progress on fibre optic links. Bhutan seeks connectivity aid. Bangladesh eyes pharma investments in Thimphu.
Bhutan Bangladesh Bilateral Ties Tobgay
Relations date to 1971. Bhutan recognised Bangladesh swiftly. It offered moral support in the Liberation War. Both joined SAARC in 1985. UN and Bay of Bengal initiatives bind them further. Cooperation spans health, agriculture, and education. Bhutan shares hydropower expertise. Bangladesh aids in microfinance models. Culture thrives via exchanges. Water management talks address shared rivers.
Trade remains modest. In FY25’s first nine months, Bangladesh exported goods worth Tk 2.77 billion to Bhutan and Nepal combined. Imports from Bhutan hit US$89.3 million in 2018, per UN data. Recent volumes stay low. Bhutan sells ferroalloys and cement. Bangladesh ships yarns and garments. The Tshering Tobgay state visit Bangladesh spotlights growth. In September, Tobgay proposed a Free Trade Agreement. He met Yunus in New York. “Both countries could greatly benefit if Bhutan’s Special Economic Zone… is connected with the Special Economic Zone in Kurigram,” Tobgay said.
Yunus welcomed it. “Bangladesh and Bhutan can take their bilateral relations to a new level through improved connectivity, trade and investment,” he replied. Tobgay praised Yunus as his “role model.” He called Bangladesh in “good hands.”
Bhutan offers hydroelectric potential. It invites pharma firms. Bangladesh supports Rohingya efforts. Bhutan joins a UN plenary on the crisis.
Trade and Investment Horizons
A FTA could triple volumes by 2030. Hydropower exports excite Dhaka. Bhutan generates surplus. Fibre optics would speed digital ties. Tourism surges post-chancery opening in Thimphu. The “Bay of Bengal at the Foothills of the Himalayas” design symbolises bonds. Challenges persist. Terrain hampers connectivity. Tariffs limit goods flow. Yet, momentum builds. Yunus’s interim role adds reform zeal.
Background: Bhutan-Bangladesh Relations Overview
Diplomatic ties formalised in 1971. Bhutanese King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck sent envoys. Bangladesh reciprocated. Embassies opened in 1975. SAARC deepened links. Joint ventures in jute and textiles followed. Bhutan trains Bangladeshi officials in governance. Health pacts cover vaccines.
Climate cooperation grows. Both face monsoons and floods. Shared borders foster people-to-people ties. Over 50 years, 15 high-level visits occurred. Recent kings’ tour in 2024 boosted morale. Tobgay’s prior Yunus meetings laid groundwork. This Bhutan PM Tshering Tobgay Bangladesh visit continues that arc.
What’s Next for Bhutan Bangladesh Bilateral Ties Tobgay
Outcomes may include FTA framework. Energy deals could follow. A joint committee on connectivity forms soon. Tobgay returns Monday. Follow-up in Thimphu looms. Yunus eyes Gelephu visit. Elections in February 2026 test stability. Yet, ties endure.
The Bhutan PM Tshering Tobgay Bangladesh visit cements a neighbourhood of mutual gain. It turns quake sorrow into shared resolve. South Asia gains from such quiet diplomacy.
Published in SouthAsianDesk, November 22nd, 2025
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