UN chief due today
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is to arrive this evening on a two-day official visit to Bangladesh.
His discussions with the president, chief adviser and leaders of BNP and Awami League are expected to be dominated by the current political situation and especially the December 18 general elections.
Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury will receive the UN chief at Zia International Airport. He is due to arrive at 5:30pm onboard a special UN aircraft from Kathmandu, official sources said.
On the first day of his tour, the UN secretary general will hold official talks with the foreign adviser at Hotel Sonargaon. UN-funded development programmes in the country and Bangladesh's UN peacekeeping missions are expected to figure prominently in the talks.
Ban will then attend dinner to be hosted by Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed today in honour of the UN chief.
Ban went to Nepal yesterday from India as part of his four-nation South-East Asia tour--the Philippines, India, Nepal, and Bangladesh.
According to officials, the secretary general will also visit a Grameen Bank's micro-financing project in Bogra and see for himself the UN-funded disaster-reduction and climate adaptation activities in Sirajganj before heading back to New York tomorrow (Sunday).
He will spend a very busy schedule throughout Sunday with a series of meetings and visits outside Dhaka. He will also visit the National Mausoleum at Savar to pay homage to the martyrs of the Liberation War tomorrow.
He will call on President Iajuddin Ahmed and Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed tomorrow.
BNP and Awami League leaders will meet him separately tomorrow where he is expected to enquire about the current political situation and the upcoming general elections, UN officials here said.
He will meet the United Nations Country Team and staff and officials of the UN peacekeeping mission in Dhaka. There will be a presentation on UN peacekeeping operations by Bangladesh in different parts of the world.
He will be accompanied by his wife Madam Yoo (Ban) Soon-taek, and other senior UN officials. His wife has a different tour schedule.
Ban Ki-moon of South Korea, the eighth secretary general of the United Nations, brings to his post 37 years of service experience acquired in the government and on the global stage.
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