Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has left Dhaka for New York to attend the 69th UN General Assembly (UNGA) session with a 184-strong delegation, her biggest entourage since taking office in 2009 and it includes several ministers, advisers, secretaries and media people.
She left Dhaka last night and is scheduled to return on October 2. Hasina will stay in New York until September 28 and fly to London from there. She is scheduled to start from London on October 1 and reach Sylhet Osmani International Airport the next day.
The theme of the 69th session of the UNGA is “Delivering on and Implementing a Transformative Post-2015 Development Agenda.”
In addition to attending a series of events, Hasina will have sideline meetings with the heads of governments of India, Qatar, Norway, Nepal and Belarus.
The prime minister will deliver her speech in Bangla at the UNGA on September 27.
During her visit, Hasina will attend the Climate Summit 2014, a summit on UN peacekeeping arranged by the US, and a programme of Global Education First Initiative.
At the peacekeeping summit, Hasina will be one of the co-chairs along with US Vice-President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Rwandan President Paul Kagame.
The Bangladesh mission in UN will also organise a programme at the UN headquarters to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Bangladesh’s membership in the UN.
Hasina’s 184-strong delegation includes lawmaker Nazmul Haq Prodhan, prime minister’s Press Adviser Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, Janakantha Editor MA Khan Masud, Controller of Accounts of Bangabandhu Memorial Trust Siddique Hossain Chowdhury, Assistant Attorney General MA Qamrul Hasan Khan, Deputy Secretary of a sub-committee of Bangladesh Awami League Mohammad Mashiur Rahman, President of Feni Awami League Abdur Rahman, Vice-president of Feni Awami League Khairul Basher Mazumder, Chairman of National Women Council of Cox’s Bazar Kaniz Fatema Ahmed, General Secretary of Rangpur Awami League Mohammad Rezaul Karim Raju, President of Institution of Diploma Engineers AKMA Hamid, Member of Bangladesh Workers’ Party Politburo Anisur Rahman Mallick, Presidium Member of Ganatantri Party Mohammad Shahidullah Sikder, former industries minister Dilip Barua, Convenor of Central Committee of Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal Rezaur Rashid Khan and General Secretary of Gana Azadi League SK Shikder.
Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, Finance Minister AMA Muhith, Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Khandker Mosharraf Hossain, Environment Minister Anwar Hossain, Food Minister Kamrul Islam, prime minister’s Political Adviser HT Imam, prime minister’s Economic Adviser Mashiur Rahman and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam are also part of her delegation.
Former foreign minister Dipu Moni, lawmakers Raji Mohammad Fakhrul and Begum Mahjabin Khaled also accompanying her.
Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque, Environment Secretary Mohammad Nazibur Rahman, Shipping Secretary Syed Manjurul Islam, CHT Secretary Naba Bikram Kishor Tripura, Health Secretary Mohammad Neazuddin Miah, Labour Secretary Mikail Shipper, Member of General Economic Division Shamsul Alam, Director General of Environment Directorate Rois Alam Mondol, Chairman of Palli Karma Sahayak Foundation Quozi Kholiquzzaman, Rupali Bank Chairman Ahmad Al Kabir and Farah Kabir of Action Aid are also part of the delegation.
The entourage also includes around twenty journalists from different media.
