President off to Germany, UK for health checkup

President M Abdul Hamid left here early today on a 12-day visit to Germany and the United Kingdom (UK) for health checkup and treatment of eyes, reports BSS.

"A regular aircraft of Qatar Airways (QY639) carrying the President took off the Hazrat (R) Shahjalal International Airport here at about 4.25am today," President's deputy press secretary Munsi Jalal Uddin told BSS.

Liberation war affairs minister AKM Mozammel Huq, Dean of Diplomatic Corps and Ambassador of the Vatican to Bangladesh Archbishop George Kocherry, British high commissioner in Dhaka Robert Chatterton Dickson, Ambasador of Germany to Bangladesh Achim Tröster, cabinet secretary, chiefs of the three services, principal secretary to the prime minister's office, Inspector General of Police (IGP), and other civil and military officials saw the president off at the VVIP lounge of the airport.

Abdul Hamid is scheduled to undergo his health checkup at Charite University Hospital in Germany and Eye Hospital in London.

"The head of the state is expected to return home by a regular flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines Limited from London on October 22," the DPS added.

Earlier, the 77-year-old President Hamid has been suffering from Glaucoma for long.

He used to have his health checkup in London and Germany while he was the Speaker in the Jatiya Sangsad.