Mega leaves Bangladesh after three-day visit

Mega leaves Bangladesh after three-day visit

Agencies, Dhaka

Indonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputri left Dhaka for Mongolia on Friday, ending a three-day state visit to Bangladesh, officials said.

State-run Bangladesh Television said President Iajuddin Ahmed and Prime Minister Khaleda Zia saw the Indonesian leader and entourage off at the airport.

Megawati arrived in Bangladesh on Wednesday at the start of her Asian tour that will also take her to Japan and Vietnam after Mongolia.

Megawati's Dhaka visit was aimed at boosting trade and investment between the world's two Muslim-majority nations.

The two Asian countries signed three accords for enhanced bilateral investment and trade between them during the visit.

The accords were reached at talks held overnight between Megawati and Zia in Dhaka.

The documents signed include a bilateral agreement on avoidance of double taxation to encourage investments in the world's two most populated Moslem countries.

The two other documents initialed are a memorandum of understanding on free access of some chosen Bangladeshi products to the Indonesian market and another on establishing a joint business council by the private sectors of the two countries.

Bangladesh is seeking to increase its exports to Indonesia, which currently has a trade surplus of nearly US$168 million with Bangladesh. Many Indonesian products are already imported duty- free to Bangladesh.

Megawati and Zia also reaffirmed their commitments to fight international terrorism and religious and political extremism.

Earlier on Wednesday Megawati was given a rousing welcome on arrival in Dhaka at the head of a 100-member business delegation.

Megawati is the first Indonesian President to visit Bangladesh since 1982. She toured Bangladesh in 2001 as the Vice President of her country.