Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, now in Singapore on an official visit, has unveiled an orchid named after her in the National Orchid Garden of Singapore Botanic Garden, a UNESCO World Heritage.

Singapore has named the orchid as ‘Dendrobium Sheikh Hasina’ to make memorable her first visit to the country as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.

Sheikh Hasina arrived in Singapore on Sunday last on her first official visit to the Southeast Asian country at the invitation of her Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsein Loong.

The orchid is a strong and free flowering antelope Dendrobuim hybrid plant produced from Sunplaza Park and Seletar Chocolat family by the hybridisers of the garden.

Dr. Nigel Talyor C Hort, Group Director of Singapore Botanic Garden, handed over the orchid to the Prime Minister at a function at Singapore Botanic Garden this shining morning.

Nephew of the Prime Minister Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby, his wife Pappy Siddiq and their two children were accompanying her.

Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, State Minister for Power and Energy Nasrul Hamid and members of her entourage were present.

The prime minister later visited different sections of the orchid garden and enjoyed the beauty of the garden with over 1,000 species and 2,000 hybrid plants. In a brief expression with media she shared her happiness for having the opportunity to visit the amazing garden, generated over the last 100 years.

Hybridiser of the plant and manger of the orchid garden David Lim said it has taken four and a half years time to produce the plant and flowering.

The orchid produces upright inflorescences up to 25 cm long, each bearing about 15 well-arranged flowers of 5cm each in width.

The gracefully twisted petals of the flowers are mahogany while the sepals are light brown and lined with a fine white margin. They are beautifully complemented to a prominent dark maroon lip with purple ridges.

The Orchid garden has so far produced 250 hybrid orchids since 1957 and many of them were named after the visiting heads of states and government and kings of different countries in Singapore to make their visit memorable, David Lim said.

The ‘Dendrobium Sheikh Hasina’ will now be nurtured in the VIP Orchid Gallery of the Singapore Botanic Gardens, which offers a permanent showcase and largest display of the orchids in the world, he said.