Rahul Gandhi arrives in Dhaka on 5-day visit

Dhaka, Aug 1 (UNI) AICC General Secretary Rahul Gandhi arrived here this afternoon on a five-day visit to learn about the activities of Grameen Bank involved in micro-credit schemes.

Nobel peace laureate and Grameen Bank Managing Director Muhammad Yunus formally received Mr Gandhi as he landed at Zia International Airport (ZIA) by a Jet Airways flight at about 1530 hrs (local time).

Later, the Congress leader left the airport in a motorcade amid tight security.

Dr Yunus informed mediapersons at the airport that Mr Gandhi said it was an ''educational visit'' for him.

He added, ''I was introduced to Mr Gandhi by his mother, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, at a function last year and he expressed his interest to visit Bangladesh.'' Mr Gandhi would take first-hand knowledge of the activities of Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) in various sectors and micro-finance projects of the Grameen Bank.

He is scheduled to visit Gazipur tomorrow to learn about BRAC's activities including micro-finance, women's empowerment, community health, education, legal and human rights protection and rural programmes.

The 38-year-old MP would also visit some projects of the Grameen Bank at Singair in Manikganj district on Sunday.

On Monday, he would visit the Grameen Bank head office in Mirpur and hold a meeting with the bank's officials.

The Congress leader would leave Dhaka on Tuesday morning.

UNI XC SKB AS1811