See you in Goa

Chinese President Xi Jinping left Dhaka for Goa, India, wrapping up his two-day state visit to Bangladesh yesterday morning.

A special flight of Air China carrying Xi and his entourage left Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 10:20am. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina saw him off at the airport, reports UNB.

A smartly turned out contingent of the President's Guard Regiment presented guard of honour to the Chinese president before his departure.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, Public Administration Minister Syed Ashraful Islam, Planning Minister AHM Mostafa Kamal, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam and several diplomats were present.

Four fighter jets of Bangladesh Air Force escorted the plane out of Bangladesh's airspace.

Xi flew to Goa to attend the two-day BRICS Summit.

Earlier in the morning, the Chinese president paid tributes to Liberation War martyrs by placing a wreath at the National Memorial in Savar.

Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Huq received Xi there around 9:00am. The president signed the Visitor's Book and planted a sapling on the premises of the National Memorial.

PM TO JOIN BRICS SUMMIT

Our diplomatic correspondent adds: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is due to depart for Goa at 8:00am today to attend the BRICS-BIMSTEC Outreach Summit.

She will lead an over 50-member delegation. The foreign minister and senior officials from the Prime Minister's Office and foreign ministry will be part of the delegation.

The theme of the Summit is “A partnership in Opportunities”. 

On the sidelines of the Summit, Hasina will hold a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at 9:00pm today.

The Outreach Summit is being organised on the sidelines of BRICS Summit which would be attended by 11 heads of state of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) and BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) member countries.

Members of the BIMSTEC are Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The two-day BRICS Summit ends today.

As per the programme schedule, Hasina will attend a retreat with BIMSTEC leaders at 3:45pm today. There will be a joint ceremony of the BRICS and BIMSTEC leaders at 4:35pm.

The seven leaders of BIMSTEC countries will then join the Outreach Meeting, which will be addressed by the PM.

During her two-day visit to India, Hasina is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with several heads of state and government, including the Russian and South African presidents, and prime ministers of Bhutan and Nepal.

She is scheduled to return home tomorrow.

ROAD TO THE EAST?

The BIMSTEC meet could unveil a roadmap for a regional Motor Vehicles Agreement to ensure connectivity among South Asian and Southeast Asian nations.

Diplomatic sources said Bangladesh, which has established road connectivity with four South Asian countries under BBIN              (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal), is now eager to establish such connectivity with South-East Asian countries through Myanmar and Thailand.

Currently, a plan is underway to establish a tri-nation highway among India-Myanmar-Thailand. Bangladesh is considering joining the highway of the three BIMSTEC member countries.

BBC Bangla quoting Bangladesh High Commissioner in New Delhi Syed Moazzem Ali said Bangladesh has already established road connectivity with India, Nepal and Bhutan in South Asia and now time has come to expand this connectivity in South-East Asia.

Host India also said its connectivity with Bangladesh will reach a new height and soon Myanmar will join the communication circle.