President Abdul Hamid left Dhaka for Vietnam with a stopover in Thailand on Friday at the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart Truong Tan Sang.

A flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the President and his wife Rashida Khanom took off from the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 11.45 am for Bangkok, Thailand.

Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, dean of diplomatic corps, chiefs of three services and high civil and military officers saw him off at the airport.

The President will hold meeting with the President of Vietnam Truong Tan Sang on Monday morning (Aug 10). The Vietnamese President will also host a dinner in honour of the Bangladesh President.

Abdul Hamid will also hold meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on the same day. The President will also visit National Assembly House of Vietnam on the day and will hold meeting with chairman of National Assembly House Nguyen Sinh Hung.

The General secretary of Communist Party of Vietnam and the Chairman of the People’s Committee of the Ho Chi Minh City of Vietnam are scheduled to meet the Bangladesh President separately during the visit.

Bangladesh community living in Vietnam is expected to meet President Abdul Hamid in Ho Chi Minh city.

The President is scheduled to return home on August 13.

The visit is expected to further deepen the cordial relations and strengthen the ties of friendship and trade and investment relations between Bangladesh and the Southeast Asian country.