PM Hasina leaves Dhaka for Switzerland to attend World Economic Forum

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has started for Davos, Switzerland to take part in the 47th World Economic Forum.

An aircraft of Etihad Airways left Dhaka's Shahjalal International Airport at 10:45pm on Sunday with the prime minister and her entourage on board.

They are scheduled to reach Zurich on a four-day visit via Abu Dhabi on Monday morning local time.

Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali and State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak, among others, are in her tour party.

Ali at a press conference on Saturday said Hasina will be the first “elected” Bangladesh leader to attend the prestigious forum in Davos.

She will speak at different sessions on water economy, sustainable development, regional cooperation, climate change, ICT and women's leadership and empowerment in Davos-Klosters, he said.

He also said the prime minister will highlight Bangladesh’s achievements and try to woo investors.

The World Economic Forum annual meeting in Switzerland remains the foremost platform for engaging the world’s top leaders in collaborative activities to shape the global, regional and industrial agenda at the beginning of each year.

Leaders share their insights and innovations on how to best navigate the future in this Forum. Newly elected UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres will also attend the meeting.

Executive Chairman Prof Klaus Schwab invited the prime minister.

Ali said the Bangladesh officials were also ready for bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the forum.

Heads of government and state of 45 nations will be among the 3,000 participants.

They include China President Xi Jinping, UK Prime Minister Theresa May, US Vice-President Joe Biden, IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde, Nobel Laureate Economist Joseph Stiglitz, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, and Facebook CEO Sheryl Sandberg.

Prime Minister Hasina is scheduled to return on Jan 21.