Dhaka is all set to welcome the Saarc leaders flying in today to join the 13th Saarc Summit.

Prime Minister Khaleda Zia will receive them at Zia International Airport (ZIA).

Red carpet will be rolled down for the leaders of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation who will stay at Dhaka Sheraton Hotel during the summit.

Prime ministers (PM) of India and Pakistan, president of Sri Lanka, and king of Nepal will fly to Dhaka in special flights.

Bhutanese Prime Minister Lyonpo Sangay Ngedup will be the first to reach Dhaka. He is due at the ZIA at 2:45pm.

Pakistan PM Shaukat Aziz arrives at 3:45pm while King of Nepal Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev will reach the airport at 5:30pm.

Indian PM Dr Manmohan Singh will reach Dhaka an hour later.

President of the Maldives Maumoon Abdul Gayoom is scheduled to arrive at 10:35pm.

Sri Lanka President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga will be the last one to enter the capital. She arrives at 12:30 tonight.

The VVIPs will be presented floral bouquets and given guard of honour after their landing.

Gun salute will be heralded for the Saarc leaders who will arrive before the sunset.

The government has taken special security measures in Dhaka especially at the ZIA and adjacent areas and the roads from the airport to Sheraton Hotel to ensure foolproof security for the Saarc heads of state and government.

Special Security Force and President's Guard Regiment will be responsible for security of the VVIPs as about 40,000 security men have been tasked with maintaining overall security during the summit.

All incoming and outgoing flights will be delayed for 45 minutes during arrival of the VVIPs. Flights scheduled between 15 minutes before the Saarc leaders' landing and 30 minutes after will be rescheduled.

'Orange' security alert, one notch down from the top, has been announced at the ZIA with effect from 00:01 hours today to continue till 24:00 hours of Monday.

The ZIA authorities will not allow into the airport area visitors and those who might go to see off or receive passengers during the period.

Air passengers, however, will have no difficulties in taking their flights from Dhaka between November 11 and 14.

People accompanying a passenger to see off will not have any access to the area beyond the airport entry crossing. Only drivers will be allowed to take passengers to the driveway but [they] will have to leave after dropping the passengers.

Besides, the passengers will have to show all the travel documents and confirmed tickets at the airport entry crossing.

For an arriving passenger, a driver will be allowed to drive a car to the parking lot to pick him up. In that case, the driver has to provide the name of the passenger, the flight number and other information.

Both sides of the road from the ZIA to Dhaka Sheraton Hotel will remain closed for public until all the Saarc leaders reach the hotel.

Meanwhile, special gate has been built and both sides of the road from the ZIA to Sheraton Hotel have been decorated.

The hotel authorities have completed all preparation and decorated it on this occasion.