PM leaves for UK to attend queen’s funeral

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday left Dhaka for the UK en route  to New York to attend the 77th session of the United Nations General  Assembly.

A VVIP chartered flight of Biman carrying the premier  and her entourage departed from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport  at 10:35am.

The flight is scheduled to land at London Stansted  International Airport at 4:45pm local time. Bangladesh High Commissioner  to the UK Saida Muna Tasneem will receive her at the airport.  

Hasina  will fly to New York after joining the funeral of Queen  Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey on September 19. She will stay in the  US till October 2.

During her stay in the UK, Secretary General of  Commonwealth Patricia Scotland, UK Minister for South Asia and North  Africa Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Leader of the Opposition and Leader of  the Labour Party Sir Keir Starmer will pay courtesy calls on her  separately.

Besides, Hasina will join a reception to be hosted by  the King of the United Kingdom at Buckingham Palace for the heads of states and governments.

The PM will join the opening session  of the UNGA debate on September 20 and address the assembly on September 23  (between 4:30pm and 5:30pm local time) in the UN Headquarters in New  York.

While in New York, she will also hold talks with a number of leaders and attend different high-level events on September 20-24.

On  September 20, Hasina is scheduled to attend the reception to be hosted  by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, the opening session of 77th  UNGA debate, the reception to be hosted by US President Joe Biden and an  event titled "the UNGA Platform of Women Leaders".

On September  22, the premier is scheduled to take part in a high-level event on  Rohingya issue and a high-level policy roundtable with the US-Bangladesh  joint business council.

She will then go to Washington DC and stay there till October 2.

Hasina  is scheduled to return home on October 4 after a  short stopover in London.