PM returns home

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina returned home early this morning from New York via Abu Dhabi wrapping up her eight-day official visit to the United States where she attended the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

A VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the premier and her entourage members landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Dhaka around 5:50 am.

Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, State Minister for Youth and Sports Md Zahid Ahsan Russel, State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Md Ashraf Ali Khan Khasru, State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Md Mahbub Ali, Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam, PM's Principal Secretary MD Nojibur Rahman, Civil Aviation and Tourism Secretary Md Muhibul Haque and other civil and military high officials received the prime minister at the airport.

After a stopover in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, the prime minister departed from the Abu Dhabi International Airport for Dhaka at 11:15pm on September 30.

Earlier, a flight of the Etihad Airways carrying the premier and her entourage members landed at the Abu Dhabi International Airport around 7:50pm.

Bangladesh Ambassador to the UAE Mohammad Imran received the premier at the airport.

The flight earlier took off from John F Kennedy International Airport in New York for Abu Dhabi at 11:35pm on Sunday.

Bangladesh Ambassador to USA Mohammad Ziauddin and Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN Masud Bin Momen saw the premier off at the airport.

The prime minister left home for New York on September 20 to attend the 74th UNGA Session. 

Sheikh Hasina delivered the country statement at the 74th UNGA Session in the UN Headquarters in New York on September 27 and had a meeting with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

She joined a number of high-level events on Universal Health Coverage, climate change adaptation, Sustainable Development Goals, foreign relations, Rohingya crisis, education and global drug problem.

The prime minister received two global prestigious awards — UNICEF's 'Champion of Skill Development for Youth' and GAVI's 'Vaccine Hero' — in recognition of Bangladesh's great success in youth skill development and vaccination  respectively.

On the sidelines of the UN session, the prime minister held several bilateral meetings with world leaders including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the UN Secretary-General's Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development Dutch Queen Maxima, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Co-chair of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Bill Gates.

The Bangladesh premier attended a welcome reception hosted by US President Donald Trump.

She also joined a civic reception hosted by the US Awami League and a luncheon roundtable meeting arranged by the US Chamber of Commerce.