Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has left Dhaka for New York on an eight-day official visit to the US to attend the 70th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
A VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the prime minister and her entourage took off from Shahjalal International Airport in the capital at 10am yesterday, the UNB reported.
Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon and the PM’s Media Adviser Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury were present at the airport to see the prime minister off.
The prime minister landed at the Heathrow International Airport in London, the UK around 3:20pm London time for a three-hour stopover, her Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim told the BSS over phone.
After the stopover, she was scheduled to fly to New York by a British Airways flight and reach John F Kennedy International Airport at 10pm, New York time, yesterday.
The prime minister’s entourage include Finance Minister AMA Muhith, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, Expatriates’ Welfare Minister Nurul Islam, PM’s Political Affairs Adviser HT Imam, International Affairs Adviser Gowher Rizvi, Economic Affairs Adviser Mashiur Rahman, State Minister for Women and Children Meher Afroz Chumki and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam.
This year’s UNGA is being considered as very important for Bangladesh as the “Champions of the Earth,” the highest environment-related award of the UN, and the “ICTs in Sustainable Development Award” of the International Telecommunication Union will be handed over to the prime minister.
On September 28, the prime minister and other heads of state and the government will attend the opening session of the 70th UNGA.
She will deliver her speech, in Bangla, in the general debate of the UNGA on September 30.
Apart from attending the general debate of the UNGA, Hasina will also attend several meetings with global leaders to discuss economic, development, climate and security issues as well as Bangladesh’s stand on them.
She will return home on October 3.
