KARACHI: Bangladesh Biman, the national carrier of Bangladesh, touched down at the Karachi International Airport for the first time last night [July 7] at 9.20. The Boeing 707 aircraft bringing a totalof 68 passengers arrived from Dubai and was scheduled to return to Dubai after a stop-over of five hours and 25 minutes. ... The inaugural flight was received, among others by the Bangladesh Ambassador in Pal(istan, Mr Zahiruddin, and the BB Manager in Pal(istan... . ... [News agencies add,] India prevented a direct flight by ... Biman ... from Dacca to Karachi ... causing considerable delay in its arrival here to open the air-link between the two countries, the Captain of the plane said. -Staf f reporter [Meanwhile, as reported by news agencies from Teheran,] Prime Minister Bhutto asserted ... that the Shahanshah of Iran had shown affection for Pakistan since its very inception and under his `able stewardship and enlightened leadership` the ties of friendship between the two countries had been strengthened.

The Prime Minister was speaking at a dinner hosted by the Iranian Prime Minister, Amir Abbas Hoveyda, who declared that Mr Bhutto`s visit here touches the heart of every Iranian.