President M Abdul Hamid, who is on an 11-day visit to London and Germany for health checkup and treatment of eyes, reached the British capital on Wednesday afternoon (BdST), Ashequn Nabi Chowdhury, press minister of Bangladesh High Commission in London, confirmed the news.
“A VVIP flight (BG-001) of Biman Bangladesh Airlines Limited carrying the President arrived at Heathrow International Airport, London at about 3:51pm (London time) yesterday,” he said on Thursday (May 16)
The President was received by Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK Saida Muna Tasneem at the airport, reports state news agency BSS.
Abdul Hamid is scheduled to have his checkup at Moorfields Eye Hospital and Bupa Cromwell Hospital in London.
The President will also have his medical check-up at Frankfurt in Germany before returning to Bangladesh.
Earlier, the national flag carrier aircraft carrying the President and his entourages members took off from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 9:35am Wednesday (May 15).
Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen, Agriculture Minister Dr. Md. Abdur Razzaque, Dean of Diplomatic Corps and Ambassador of Vatican to Bangladesh Archbishop George Kocherry, British High Commissioner in Dhaka Robert Chatterton Dickson, Ambassador of Germany to Bangladesh Peter Fahrenholtz, Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam, Principal Secretary Md Nojibur Rahman, Foreign
Secretary M Shahidul Haque, chiefs of the three services, Inspector General of Police (IGP), and high civil and military officials saw him off at the VVIP Lounge of Dhaka airport.
Earlier, the 75-year-old President Hamid conducted his health check-up in london in July last year.
Abdul Hamid has been suffering from Glaucoma for long. He used to have his health check-up in London while he was the Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad.
The President is scheduled to return home on May 26, the press minister added.