PM leaves for Saudi Arabia
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka on Saturday evening for Riyadh on a four-day official visit to Saudi Arabia to join the Arab Islamic-American (AIA) Summit at the invitation of Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
A Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight carrying the Prime Minister and members of her entourage took off from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 8.10 pm.
Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu, Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, Roads and Bridges Minister Obaidul Kader, PM`s Advisor HT Imam, Chief Whip ASM Firoz, chiefs of three services and Cabinet Secretary S Shafiul Alam saw her off at the airport.
The flight is scheduled to reach King Khalid International Airport at 11.15 pm local time when Bangladesh Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Golam Moshi will receive the premier who would be escorted to Movenpick Hotel in Riyadh.in a ceremonial motorcade.
During her visit, Sheikh Hasina will also perform holy umrah at the Haram Sharif in Makkah and offer ziarat at the Rawza Mubarak of Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) in Madinah.
The Arab Islamic-American (AIA) Summit will be held at King Abdul Aziz International Conference Center in the Saudi capital tomorrow to be joined by the Bangladesh premier along with other world leaders.
She will also join the inauguration of the Global Centre for Combating Extremist Thought.
Sheikh Hasina will also join a lunch to be hosted by King Saud. On May 22, the Prime Minister will leave Riyadh for Madinah by air to offer ziarat at the Rawza Mubarak of Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH). She will leave Madinah for Jeddah in the afternoon on May 22.
On arrival at King AbdulAziz International Airport, she will go to Makkah to perform holy umrah at the Haram Sharif.
Sheikh Hasina will return home on May 24.
US President Donald Trump and 56 Arab and Muslim leaders will join the summit to discuss ways to combat extremism and illicit financing under the summit slogan "Together We Prevail".
Sheikh Hasina is expected to put forward a number of proposals in the summit. "The main objective of the summit is to establish new partnership to face the challenges of global terrorism and militancy, expand values of tolerance and coexistence and strengthen efforts for ensuring peace and stability," Ali added.
