Thimphu, Nov 7 On her maiden visit to the south Asian region since she was elected last December, Bangladesh Premier Sheikh Hasina is in Bhutan to sign a bilateral trade pact between the two countries.

Hasina arrived here yesterday at the invitation of her Bhutanese counterpart Jigme Y Thinley.

She is leading a 48-member delegation comprising Cabinet ministers and senior officials.

During her four-day visit, she will hold discussions with King Jigme Khesar Namgyal.

Bhutan and Bangladesh enjoy good trade relations and the two countries have seen a substantial increase in trade in the past 19 years. In 2008, the value of trade between the two countries was recorded at Nu 755.96m, the highest till date.

"Bangladesh is an important trading partner for Bhutan after India and over the years, both export and import saw an increasing trend," said a Bhutan foreign ministry spokesperson.

- (Agencies)