Chief Adviser Dr Mohammad Yunus will not attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2024 (CHOGM) to be held in Apia, Samoa from October 21-26.
Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Thursday at a briefing said he would represent the chief adviser at the meeting.
He said the chief adviser has decided that he would not attend the meeting.
He, however, did not say the reason.
The foreign adviser said the chief adviser will attend the Bimstec Summit in Bangkok. The date of the summit has not been announced yet. But it is expected to be held in November.
The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 56 independent and equal countries who were former British colonies.
It is home to 2.5 billion people, and includes both advanced economies and developing countries. 33 of our members are small states, including many island nations.
The Commonwealth Charter expresses the commitment of member states to the development of free and democratic societies and the promotion of peace and prosperity to improve the lives of all the people of the Commonwealth.
More than 3,000 delegates and leaders from the member countries will gather in Samoa for the summit this year.
King Charles III will, for the first time, attend CHOGM as Head of the Commonwealth.
Heads of government will deliberate on a crucial ‘Ocean Declaration’ that aims to accelerate initiatives for a healthy, sustainable and resilient ocean.
The meeting will elect a successor to the current Commonwealth Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland KC, whose term will end on 31 March 2025.
Leaders of Commonwealth countries meet every two years for the CHOGM, hosted by different member countries on a rotating basis.
This is also the first summit to be held in a Pacific Small Island Developing State.
