BSS, Dhaka :
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left here for Jeddah on a five-day official visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) at the invitation of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
This would be the first visit of the Bangladesh Premier to Saudi Arabia after the swearing-in of Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud as the King.
A VVIP Flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the Prime Minister and her entourage members took off from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 4.15 pm.
Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, youngest daughter of Bangabandhu Sheikh Rehana and a business delegation are accompanying the Prime Minister.
Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, Minister for Public Administration Syed Ashraful Islam, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon, PM’s advisor HT Imam and Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, Chief Whip ASM Firoz, State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam saw the prime minister off at the airport. Cabinet secretary, chiefs of three services and senior officials were present.
The Biman flight is scheduled to reach Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport at 8 pm local time.
The Bangladesh premier will stay at Jeddah Royal Conference Palace during her visit to Saudi Arabia.
The Prime Minister will perform the holy “umrah” at Haram Sharif in Mecca on Friday night and offer Fazr prayers there on Saturday.
She will lay the foundation stone of Bangladesh Chancery Complex and Bangladesh House in Riyadh through a function at Jeddah on Saturday evening.
On Sunday afternoon, Sheikh Hasina will hold bilateral talks with the Saudi King at the Al Salam Palace at Al Andalus in Jeddah where entire gamut of bilateral interest, regional and international issues would be discussed.
Saudi Deputy Minister for Defence Salman bin Sultan Al Saud and Advisor of the Royal Council of the Saudi King Yaser Al Mian and a number of Saudi ministers and senior officials would call on Sheikh Hasina.
On Monday morning, the Prime Minister will leave Jeddah for Medina by air and stay at Medina Hilton.
Sheikh Hasina will offer Asr and Maghrib prayers at Masjid-e Nabbi in Medina and offer ziarat at Rawza Mubarak of Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH).
Sheikh Hasina will back home on Tuesday afternoon.
