PM arrives in Port of Spain

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina BSS, Port of Spain

After a long 20-hour journey, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina arrived at Port of Spain, the capital city of Trinidad and Tobago, at 4:15pm local time to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) beginning here on Friday.

On her arrival at the Port of Spain Airport, the Bangladesh's premier held meetings with President of Cyprus Dometris Christofias and her Danish, Sri Lankan and Singaporean counterparts Lars Lokke Rasmussen, Ratnasiri Wickremanayake and Lee Hsien Loong respectively at the VVIP lounge of the airport.

During the meetings, they discussed wide range of bilateral and multilateral issues including the consequences of climate change, world economic recession and further strengthening democracy across the world.

At the very outset of the meeting, the leaders of the commonwealth countries congratulated Sheikh Hasina for her assumption of office as the prime minister of Bangladesh after her party's landslide victory in the last general election.

They also lauded her relentless efforts for strengthening parliamentary democracy in Bangladesh as well as tacking the climate change challenges for which Bangladesh are being one of the worst victims.

In reply, Sheikh Hasina said her government is working ceaselessly for further strengthening parliamentary democracy in Bangladesh. "We have constituted all parliamentary stranding committees at the maiden session of parliament to this end," she added.

Regarding climate change issue, she said Bangladesh and other Least Developed Countries are becoming the worst victims of climate change although they have negligible contributions to the global warming.

In this context, Sheikh Hasina said the maximum carbon emitters developed countries have to come forward and play a vital role to face the challenges of climate change caused by global warming.

Earlier, high officials of commonwealth office here received the Bangladesh Prime Minister and members of her entourage. Later, she was drove to Hotel Hyatt Regency International by a ceremonial motorcade.

Besides, security measures have been beefed up in and around the picturesque Caribbean Island city ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II will open the CHOGM today at 9.45 local time at the National Academy for Performing Arts (NAPA).

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will be among 52 world leaders attending the meeting including Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.

The prime minister is leading a high profile Bangladesh delegation to the CHOGM. The delegation included Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni, Ambassador At Large M Ziauddin, Foreign Secretary Md. Mijarul Quayes, Bangladesh High Commissioner in London M Saidur Rahman Khan and Press Secretary to the prime minister Abul Kalam Azad.

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