PM reaches London to attend Queen’s funeral

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday reached London en route to New York to attend the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

A VVIP chartered flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the premier and her entourage landed at London Stansted International Airport at 5pm local time.

Bangladesh High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Saida Muna Tasneem received her at the airport.

Earlier, the flight departed from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at 10:35am.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will leave London for New York immediately after joining the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey on September 19.

She will stay in the US till October 2.

During her stay in the UK, Secretary General of Commonwealth Patricia Scotland, UK Minister for South Asia and North Africa Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Leader of the Opposition Leader of the Labour Party Sir Keir Starmer will also pay courtesy calls on her separately.

Besides, the Bangladesh prime minister will attend a reception to be hosted by the king of the United Kingdom at Buckingham Palace for the Heads of the States or the governments.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will depart from London for New York on Monday eneving, and her flight is scheduled to land at the JFK International Airport on the same day.

She will join the opening session of the UNGA debate on Tuesday and will address the 77th UN general assembly on September 23 (between 4:30pm and 5:30pm local time) in the United Nations headquarters in New York.

While in New York, she will also hold talks with a number of leaders and attend different high-level events from September 20 to 24.

On September 20, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to attend the reception to be hosted by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, the opening session of 77th UNGA debate, the reception to be hosted by US President Joe Biden and an event titled “UNGA Platform of Women Leaders”.

She will have separate meetings with Slovenian President Borut Pahor and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugee Filippo Grandi on the same day.

On September 21, the prime minister will join a high-level event on sustainable housing (which will be co-hosted by Bangladesh, Botswana, Slovak Republic and UN Habitat) and Global Crisis Response Group (GCRG) Champions’ Meeting, and open a photo exhibition on Padma Bridge at the UNHQs.

She will have separate bilateral meetings with Kosovo President Dr Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu and Ecuador President Guillermo Lasso Mendoza on the same day.

Besides, WEF Executive Director Professor Schwab Klaus and UN Under-Secretary-General (USG, OHRLLS) Rabab Fatima will separately pay courtesy calls on Sheikh Hasina on September 21.

On September 22, the Bangladesh premier is scheduled to join a breakfast meeting on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), high-level event on Rohingya issue and a high level policy roundtable with the US-Bangladesh joint business council.

She will have a bilateral meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and two separate meetings with IOM Director General Antonio Vitorino, and ICC prosecutors Nick Klegg and Karim Khan on the same day.

On September 23, the prime minister will deliver her address at the 77th UNGA general debate.

Besides, she will join a civic reception accorded to her by the expatriate Bangladeshis on September 24.

Then she will leave New York for Washington DC and will stay there till October 02.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to return home in the early hours of October 04 after a short stopover in London on her way from Washington. (UNB)