Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina leaves for Italy

The Prime Minister has left for Italy on Wednesday .

A Bangladesh Biman flight carrying her took-off from the Shahjalal International Airport around 10 am.

Sheikh Hasina will participate of at the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) on Oct 16-17 in the Italian city of Milan.

Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali told a briefing on Tuesday that the prime minister would address the summit on Thursday (Oct 16).

She will highlight Bangladesh's position on different important issues like climate change, millennium development goals (MDGs), disaster-risk management and connectivity between Asia and Europe, he added.

Talking of Bangladesh’s progress in economic and social spheres, the minister said: “The summit will give importance to our prime minister’s position.”

Besides attending the summit, Hasina will have bilateral meetings with the heads of the governments of Italy, the Netherlands, Greece, and Sweden, and hold discussions with chiefs of the European Commission and European Council.

The foreign minister said ASEM had 51 members at present, while Croatia and Kazakhstan had applied for membership.

He said 50 people were in the PM’s entourage.

Hasina is also scheduled to attend a reception to be given to her by expatriate Bangladeshis in Italy.