PM off to Japan
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka for Tokyo this morning on her 12-day tri-nation tour with Japan being her first destination to be followed by Saudi Arabia and Finland.
A special flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the premier and her entourage members left Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport here for Japanese capital of Tokyo at 9:10 am.
Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen, Jatiya Sangsad Chief Whip Noor-e-Alam Chowdhury Liton, cabinet secretary, chiefs of the three services, the dean of the diplomatic corps and high civil and military officials were present at the airport to see the premier off.
The flight is scheduled to arrive at Haneda International Airport, Tokyo at 6.30 pm (Japan time) where Japanese state minister for Foreign Affairs Toshiko Abe will welcome the prime minister at the airport.
In the first tour in Japan from May 28 to 31, the premier will address the 25th International Conference on Future Asia, hold a number of bilateral talks including with her Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe and attend a signing ceremony.
Sheikh Hasina will join a Bangladeshi community reception to be hosted in her honour, meet with the family members of the Japanese victims of the Holey Artisan attack and Japanese business leaders.
Concluding the Japan visit, Sheikh Hasina will leave Tokyo for Jeddah where she will stay till June 3.
During her stay in Saudi Arabia, the premier attend the opening ceremony of the 14th session of the OIC’s (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) Islamic Summit titled “Makkah Summit: Together for the Future” in Makkah on May 31. The premier will perform Umrah.
Upon completion of the Saudi Arabia visit, Sheikh Hasina will depart Jeddah for Helsinki, Finland on June 3 where she will pay a courtesy call on president of Finland on June 4.
On the first day of her visit to Japan today, the prime minister will attend a community reception at Hotel Okura around 8:30 pm (Japan time).
On May 29 morning, the prime minister will attend a breakfast roundtable meeting with Japanese Business leaders and CEOs at Hotel New Otani.
After that, Japanese victims of the Holy Artisan incident will call on her.
In the afternoon, she will have a bilateral meeting with her Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe at his office. Sheikh Hasina will be given a guard of honour when she will reach the Japanese Prime Minister’s Office.
After the bilateral talks, there will be a signing ceremony and a joint press statement.
Later in the evening, she will attend the official dinner hosted by Shinzo Abe at his residence.
On May 30, Sheikh Hasina will attend the Nikkei Conference at Imperial Hotel where Prime Minister of Malaysia Mahathir Bin Mohammad will give the keynote speech.
Sheikh Hasina will then attend the 25th International Conference on the Future Asia at the same venue and deliver her speech.
Later, JICA president Shinichi Kitaoka will call on her at her place of residence.
In the evening, the prime minister will attend the Nikkei Conference Dinner where Japanese prime minister will be the keynote speaker.
On May 31 at 9:25am (Japan Time), Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will depart from Haneda International Airport for Jeddah to attend the 14th session of the OIC’s Islamic Summit in Makkah.
Japanese state minister for Foreign Affairs Toshiko Abe will see her off at the airport. She will arrive at King Abdulaziz International Airport at 5:25 pm (KSA time).
In the evening, she will attend the opening ceremony of the OIC summit at Safa Palace, Makkah.
Saudi Arabia is hosting the 14th session of the OIC’s Islamic Summit in Makkah on May 31 and on June 1, 12.30am, she will attend the first working session and at 1.30am the second working session.
She will attend the closing session at 2.30am and then join the Suhoor Banquet at Safa Palace.
In the evening she will perform Umrah.
On June 2 morning, the prime minister will depart Jeddah for Madina by air and offer Fateha at the Rawza Mubarak (grave) of Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH).
In the evening, she will depart Madinah to Jeddah by air. On June 3 at 1.10am, she will depart Jeddah for Helsinki, Finland via Frankfurt.
She will land at Helsinki International Airport at 1pm (Finland time).
On June 4, she will call on Finland President at his official residence.
On June 7, the prime minister will leave Helsinki for Dhaka at 6.35pm (Finland time) by Finair.
The premier is likely to return home on June 7.