PM Hasina returns home after three-day state visit to Hungary

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has returned to Dhaka Wednesday night after a three-day state visit to Hungary where she attended a water summit.

A Biman Bangladesh Airlines plane with the prime minister and her entourage on board touched down the Shahjalal International Airport at 11pm on Wednesday.

Besides joining the Budapest Water Summit 2016, the prime minister also had a bilateral meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

The heads of the governments of the two countries witnessed the signing of three Memorandums of Understanding.

Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, Local Government Minister Khandker Mosharraf Hossain, Water Resource Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud and a business delegation were with the prime minister during the visit.

On her way to Budapest on Sunday, the prime minister’s plane had to make an emergency landing at Ashgabat International Airport in Turkmenistan for technical faults in the aircraft’s engine.

The prime minister had to wait for four hours in Turkmenistan until the technical glitch was fixed.

Six Biman officials have been suspended for the incident pending investigation.

On Wednesday, Hasina's sister Sheikh Rehana and Bangladesh Ambassador to Hungary M Abu Zafar bid farewell to the prime minister at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport at 3:15pm (BdST).

Before departure, the prime minister acknowledged a traditional salute from the Hungarian armed forces at the airport.

Hope for stronger Dhaka-Budapest ties

The prime minister was accorded a red carpet reception when she reached Budapest on Sunday.

The key points of the city and streets near the hotel where she stayed were decorated with the national flags of the two countries.

On Monday, Hasina presented a seven-point agenda to ensure safe water at the summit. She also visited Sustainable Water Solutions Expo on the same day.

She attended a ceremonial dinner hosted by Hungary President János Áder later that night.

The Bangladesh premier on Tuesday met her Hungarian counterpart Orbán.

They later led the officials of their respective countries in a bilateral meeting and witnessed the signing of three MoUs to boost cooperation between the two countries in water resources management and agriculture and between the foreign offices.      

Hungary, one of the first European countries to recognise Bangladesh as an independent nation following the 1971 Liberation War, also agreed to give full scholarships to medical, agriculture and science students from Bangladesh.

After the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975, Hungary closed its embassy in Bangladesh. Officials hinted that the country may reopen the embassy in Dhaka within 2018.

In a joint statement, Hasina expressed the hope that Bangladesh's ties with Hungary will reach its full potential through her visit.

She also attended a meeting of Bangladesh-Hungary Business Forum on Tuesday.