PM flies to USA

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left here for New York on Wednesday morning on an eight-day official visit to the United States to attend the 70th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), reports UNB.

A VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the Prime Minister and her entourage took off from the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport here at 10:00 am.

Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon and PM`s Media Adviser Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury were present at the airport to see the Prime Minister off.

Besides, Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf Hussain Bhuiyan, PM`s Principal Secretary Md Abul Kalam Azad, the chiefs of the three services, the US Ambassador in Dhaka and the British High Commissioner to Bangladesh as well as high civil and military officials were present.

After nearly a three-hour stopover at the Heathrow International Airport in London, she will fly to New York by a British Airways flight that will land at John F Kennedy (JFK) International Airport at 10 pm (NY time) on September 23.

Important delegation members of the Prime Minister include Finance Minister AMA Muhith, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, Expatriates Welfare Minister Nurul Islam BSc, Prime Minister`s Political Affairs Adviser HT Imam, International Affairs Adviser Dr 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.

After a warm reception at the JFK Airport, the Prime Minister will be taken to Hotel Waldorf Astoria New York in a ceremonial motorcade. She will stay at the hotel during her visit to the USA.

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 would be handed over to the Bangladesh Prime Minister.

Besides, the agreed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be adopted during the 70th UNGA will succeed the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that were forged in the year 2000. Countries like Bangladesh have made commendable progress in achieving most of the goals set in MDGs (2000-2015).

During her stay in New York, the Prime Minister along with other heads of state and the government will attend the opening session of the 70th UN General Assembly on September 28.

On the day, Sheikh Hasina will join a reception to be given by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon as well as a luncheon to be hosted in honour of the heads of state and government attending the assembly.

The Bangladesh Prime Minister will deliver her country speech in the general debate of the UNGA on September 30 and is expected to highlight issues like global peace and security, democracy, good governance, women empowerment, poverty eradication, right of migrant workers, climate change and achieving Millennium Development Goals.

Like the previous years, the Prime Minister will give her speech in Bangla following the Bangla speech given by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1974.

Apart from attending the general debate of the UNGA, Sheikh Hasina will join the high-level roundtable on South-South Cooperation to be held on September 26 at the UN Headquarters.

The following day, she will attend the `Global Leaders` Meeting on Gender Equality hand Women`s Empowerment: A Commitment to Action` at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

On that day, the Prime Minister will co-chair an interactive dialogue titled `Fostering Sustainable Economic Growth, Transformation and Promoting Sustainable Consumption and Production` with the Prime Minister of Belgium.

Besides, she will address the plenary session of the `UN Summit for the Adoption of the Post-2015 Development Agenda` on September 27 highlighting Bangladesh`s priorities.

In her speech, she is expected to reiterate country`s commitment towards sustainable development targets and government activities to this end.

Sheikh Hasina will be accorded a community reception by expatriate Bangladeshis living in the USA at Hilton Midtown Hotel on September 27.

On September 28, Hasina will co-chair the `High-Level Summit on Peacekeeping` with US President Barack Obama and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

The Summit will be co-hosted by the USA, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Japan, Netherlands, Pakistan, Rwanda, Uruguay and the UNSG.

On September 29, the Prime Minister will attend the `Global Leaders` Summit on Countering ISIL and Violent Extremism` to be organised by the US President.

The Prime Minister will also join a function on `Moving from MDGs to SDGs: Bangladesh Experience and Expectations` as the chief guest, while high-ranking UN officials and leaders of different countries will participate.

Besides, the Prime Minister will address a press conference at the Bangladesh Permanent Mission in New York on this day.

On the sidelines of the UNGA, Hasina will address the World Leaders Forum on `Girls Lead the Way` at Columbia University on September 25.

The same day, she will exchange views with the Business Council for International Understanding of the United States of America at the Hotel Waldorf Astoria in New York.

Besides, the Prime Minister will hold bilateral meetings with a number of the heads of state and government including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Nepalese Prime Minister Shushil Koirala.

On her way back home, Sheikh Hasina will stay in London for a day where she will be accorded a community reception at a hotel on October 2.

The Prime Minister will return home on October 3.