PM Hasina on way home after 17-day trip to US, Canada

A ‘mass’ reception awaits Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who is returning home Friday afternoon after a 17-day trip to the US and Canada.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 29 Sept 2016, 02:39 PM
Updated : 30 Sept 2016, 06:27 AM

She left Dulles International Airport on Thursday night (BdST) on an Emirates flight and is expected to reach Dhaka at 5:20pm on Friday via Dubai.

The Awami League and its alliance, the 14-party combine, along with some other social and cultural organisations have planned a 'mass' reception to welcome the prime minister for achieving UN-women 'Planet 50-50 Champion' and Global Partnership Forum 'Agent of Change Award' during the visit.

Members of the organisations decided to line up along the streets from Shahjalal International Airport to the Ganabhaban to welcome her.

Besides attending the UNGA meeting, the Bangladesh Prime Minister had bilateral talks with a number of other nations and attended programmes hosted by the expatriate Bangladeshis in Canada and USA. 

Hasina celebrated her birthday on Sept 28 with her son Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed Joy and his family in Virginia.

bdnews24.com New York correspondent said Joy and his wife bade Hasina goodbye at the airport on Thursday.

Bangladesh Ambassador in the US Mohammad Ziauddin, Permanent Representative to the UN Masud Bin Momen, and leaders of Awami League's US chapter were also present.

In Canada, she attended the Fifth Replenishment Conference of the Global Fund, which discussed global strategies to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria on Sep 16.

She conferred Bangladesh's 'Friends of Liberation War Honour' award on the late Canadian prime minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau. His son and current Prime Minister Justin Trudeau received the award.

In New York, she delivered a speech at the UN General Assembly plenary on refugee rehabilitation on Sept 19.

She then had a bilateral meeting with Myanmar's State Counsellor and Foreign Minister Aung Sang Suu Kyi.

On Sept 20, she attended a meeting on refugee issues organised by US President Barack Obama that was followed by a reception.

The prime minister addressed the UN General Assembly before attending a reception hosted by Bangladeshi expatriates on Sept 22.

On the sidelines of the General Assembly, Hasina also met the heads of several other states and governments.