Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina returned home on Monday afternoon completing her eight-day official visit to the USA for attending the 68th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
A flight of the Emirates Airlines, carrying the Prime Minister and her entourage, touched the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at about 5:30 pm.
Cabinet members, diplomats and civil and military high officials received the Prime Minister at the VVIP terminal.
During her stay in New York, Sheikh Hasina delivered her speech in the UNGA seeking all-out support from the international community for the ongoing trial of the war criminals responsible for genocide, rape, arson and crimes against humanity during Bangladesh’s Liberation War in 1971.
Prime Minister also had meetings with Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak, and UN secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
Addressing a press conference at the Bangladesh Permanent Mission at the United Nations, the Prime Minister urged the opposition leader to come in parliament and discuss how she wants the next general election to take place, and said there would be no crisis in the country if the opposition leader leaves the association of the war criminals and stands in favour of the trial.
Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma also called on Sheikh Hasina at her hotel on September 23. Later, she attended a reception hosted by US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at Waldrof Astoria Hotel.
Hasina also attended a programme of International Organization for South-South Cooperation (IOSSC) at its office and received the South-South award for Bangladesh’s stellar performance for poverty reduction.
The following day, on September 24, the Prime Minister attended a welcome reception, accorded by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, and the opening session of the 68th UNGA at UN headquarters.
Later, she attended a high-level side event on ‘Tackling the Unfinished Business: Accelerating MDG Progress and joined UN Secretary General’s Luncheon Reception.
Hasina also met Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and attended as one of the keynote speakers of ‘Leaders Dialogue: HLPF-From Vision to Action” at Trusteeship Council Chamber at UN headquarters. Later, The Foreign Minister of China called on the Prime Minister also at the UN headquarters.
She delivered her speech at the Special event of the President of the General Assembly to follow up on efforts made towards achieving the MDGs.
She then attended the “Global Education First Initiative (GEFI) Anniversary Even at ECOSOC Chamber at the UN headquarters.
The Prime Minister signed “Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) and Protocol on Explosive Remnants of War of Convention on Certain Chemical Weapons (CCW) at UNHQ and delivered her speech at the High Level Plenary Session on Nuclear Disarmament.
Sheikh Hasina also attended a community programme at the Grand Ball Room of the Hilton New York on September 28.
The Prime Minister on September 22 left Dhaka for New York to attend the 68th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) with her 134-member entourage.
Source: UNB Connect
