PM reaches Jeddah

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was given a red-carpet reception as she arrived here yesterday on a five-day official visit to Saudi Arabia at the invitation of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

A Bangladesh Biman flight carrying the PM and her entourage touched down at Jeddah King Abdulaziz International Airport at 7:50pm local time.

Crown Prince Mohammad bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz, Bangladesh Ambassador to the KSA and Permanent Representative to the OIC Golam Masih received the premier at the airport.

Hasina  was given a guard of honour by a military contingent of the kingdom at the airport. From there, the prime minsiter was taken to King Faisal Palace to join a banquet hosted by the crown prince.

After attending the banquet, Hasina went to Jeddah Royal Conference Palace where she will be staying during the visit to Jeddah.

It is the first visit of the Bangladesh PM to Saudi Arabia after the swearing-in of Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud as the king.

Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, youngest daughter of Bangabandhu Sheikh Rehana and a business delegation are accompanying the PM.

The premier will perform Umrah at Haram Sharif in Makkah today and offer Fazr prayers.

She will lay the foundation of Bangladesh Chancery Complex and Bangladesh House in Riyadh at a function in Jeddah in the evening.

Tomorrow afternoon, Hasina will hold bilateral talks with the Saudi king at the Al Salam Palace at Al Andalus in Jeddah where bilateral, regional and international issues would be discussed.

On Monday morning, the prime minister will leave Jeddah for Madina by air. She will offer Asr and Maghrib prayers at Masjid-e Nabawi in Madina and perform ziarat of the Rawza Mubarak of Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH).

She will leave Madina for home on Tuesday morning.