ISLAMABAD, Feb 12: Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia arrived here on Sunday on a three-day official visit which promises to bolster cooperation in diverse areas and take bilateral ties to a higher plane.

She is leading a 50-member delegation that includes ministers for foreign affairs, agriculture, health, advisers, businessmen and officials.

Begum Zia was received at the Chaklala air base by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, his wife Rukhsana Aziz and Minister-in Waiting Neelofar Bakhtiar.

The Bangladeshi leader was given a 21-gun salute.

Prime Minister Khaleda Zia last visited Pakistan in January 2004 to attend the 12th Saarc summit.

In the bilateral context the tour assumes special significance as this is the first high-level visit from Bangladesh in 13 years. The last visit took place in 1992 and even then Begum Khaleda Zia was the prime minister.

In the evening, National Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain and ruling Pakistan Muslim League secretary-general and Senate’s foreign relations committee chairman Mushahid Hussain Sayed called on her separately at the hotel where she is staying.

On Monday, the BD leader will hold delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Aziz after which four memoranda of understanding (MoUs) will be signed between the two sides to boost cooperation in trade, tourism and agriculture.