National

PM leaves New York for home

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left here tonight for home via Abu Dhabi wrapping up her eight-day official visit to the United States after attending the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), reports BSS. 

A flight (EY-100) of the Etihad Airways carrying the premier and members of her entourage took off from John F Kennedy International Airport for Abu Dhabi here at 11:35 pm local time (BST 9:35 am on Monday).

Bangladesh Ambassador to USA Mohammad Ziauddin and Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN Masud Bin Momen saw the premier off at the airport.

The flight is scheduled to land at Abu Dhabi International Airport around 8pm local time on September 30.

Bangladesh Ambassador to the UAE Mohammad Imran will receive the premier at the airport.

After a nearly three-hour stopover in the United Arab Emirates capital, the prime minister will depart from Abu Dhabi International Airport for Dhaka at 10:45 pm local time by a VVIP flight (BG-128) of Biman Bangladesh Airlines.

The flight is scheduled to reach Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Dhaka at 5:35am on October 1 (Tuesday).

The prime minister left home for New York on September 20 to attend the 74th UNGA Session.

Sheikh Hasina delivered the country statement at the 74th UNGA Session in the UN Headquarters in New York on September 27 and had a meeting with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

She joined a number of high-level events on Universal Health Coverage, climate change adaptation, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), foreign relations, Rohingya crisis, education and global drug problem.

The prime minister received two global prestigious awards - UNICEF’s ‘Champion of Skill Development for Youth’ and GAVI’s ‘Vaccine Hero’ - in recognition of Bangladesh’s great success in youth skill development and vaccination respectively.

On the sidelines of the UNGA, the prime minister held several bilateral meetings including with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development Dutch Queen Maxima and Co-chair of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Bill Gates.

The Bangladesh premier attended a welcome reception hosted by US President Donald J. Trump.

She also joined a civic reception hosted by the US Awami League and a luncheon roundtable meeting arranged by the US Chamber of Commerce.