Hasina likely to hold meetings with all Saarc leaders

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was given a guard of honour at the Gan International Airport in Addu City yesterday by a smartly turned out contingent of the Maldives National Defence Force. Photo: PID

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who reached the Maldives yesterday to attend the two-day 17th Saarc summit beginning today in Addu Atoll, will have a busy schedule.
Alongside addressing the inaugural session of the summit and attending other programmes of the Saarc, she is expected to hold bilateral meetings with the heads of almost all the participating states and governments. Presidents of three countries and prime ministers of five nations take part in this summit.
The participating leaders are Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani, Bhutanese Prime Minister Jigme Yoser Thinley, and Nepalese Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai.
Hasina left Dhaka yesterday noon on a special flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines and landed at Gan International Airport in Addu. She was warmly received by Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed and the first lady of Maldives. The PM also received a guard of honour. Bangladesh High Commissioner in Maldives ASMA Awal was also present at the airport.
Hasina then boarded a royal naval vessel for Maldives luxury Shangri-La Villingili Resort where she will be staying during the summit.
As per the programme schedule, the Bangladesh prime minister would hold bilateral meeting with Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh at Dr Ali's Restaurant in Shangri-La Villingili Resort from 11:45am to 12:15pm (local time) today (November 10).
After lunch, she will move to the Convention Centre at Hatihadhoo in Addu to join the inaugural session of the summit, which will start at 2:30pm and end at 4:40pm. The participating leaders will make their speeches during the session.
In the evening, Hasina will join the state banquet to be hosted by Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed and the first lady of Maldives at Hulhumeedhoo State Banquet Hall.
Tomorrow (Friday), the prime minister will attend the Summit Retreat with other Saarc leaders at Laalu Villa in Shangri-La Resort at 10:00am, which will continue till 12:00pm.
She will then attend the concluding session of the summit at the main conference hall of the convention centre at Hatihadhoo at 4:00pm. The session will last for an hour.
The prime minister will attend the unveiling ceremony of Saarc Memorial Sculpture at Hatihadhoo in Addu at 5:20pm.
On Saturday, Hasina will leave Gan International Airport in Addu city for Male at 10:30am on a special flight of Biman. Vice President of Maldives and Bangladesh High Commissioner in Male will see the PM off at Addu.
Hasina will leave for Dhaka from Ibrahim Nasir International Airport in Male at 12:40pm and return to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 5:30pm.