PM arrives at Medina to attend 'Women in Islam' conference

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today arrived in Medina on a three-day visit to Saudi Arabia to attend the international conference on "Women in Islam: Status and Empowerment" in Jeddah.

A commercial flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, carrying the PM and her entourage, landed at Prince Mohammad Bin Abdul Aziz International Airport in Medina at 1:10pm local time (4:10pm Bangladesh time).

Saudi Arabia in coordination with the general secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is hosting the conference from November 6 to 8.

Today, the prime minister will offer prayers at the Rawza Mubarak of the Prophet (PBUH) after Asr prayers. Then Sheikh Hasina will leave Medina for Jeddah and then perform Umrah in Makkah.

Tomorrow, she will join the opening event of the International Conference on Women in Islam and deliver her speech as the guest of honour there.

Besides, the PM will have separate meetings with Iranian Vice President for Women and Family Affairs Enseieh Khazali, Executive Director of OIC Women Development Organisation Afnan Alshuaiby and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan.

She will also attend the inauguration of the Women in Islam Exhibition to be arranged by Princess Noura University on the same day.

On Tuesday, the Bangladesh premier will offer prayers in the Masjid al-Haram.

Hasina will leave Makkah for home by a commercial flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines from King Abdulaziz International Airport at 10:45pm local time. The flight is scheduled to land at Dhaka at 8:00am on Wednesday.

The international conference on women in Islam is being held with an aim to clarify women's rights and responsibilities in Islam, especially women's rights to education and work as per the teachings of Islam, with broad participation from scholars of the Muslim Ummah.