PM Hasina to reach Dhaka on Sunday morning

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left Johannesburg for Dhaka on Saturday afternoon, wrapping up her South Africa trip.

She attended the 15th BRICS Summit held in Johannesburg on August 22-24 at the invitation of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

A regular flight of Emirates, carrying the premier and her entourage, took off from OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg at around 2 pm (6 pm Bangladesh time) on Saturday.

The flight is scheduled to land at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at 8:40 am on Sunday (Bangladesh time) after a two-hour stopover at Dubai International Airport in UAE.

On August 22, Sheikh Hasina arrived in Johannesburg to attend the 15th Summit of BRICS nations — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. This year’s summit was hosted by South Africa.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa attended the summit.

On August 23, during her visit, the prime minister delivered a speech as the chief guest at the "Bangladesh Trade and Business Summit", organised by Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) and Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA).

Later, she attended the "Bangladesh Envoys Conference" organised by Bangladeshi ambassadors stationed in African countries.

In the afternoon, she held a bilateral meeting with Chinese President XI Jinping at the Hotel Hilton Sandton.

In the evening, the prime minister joined a cultural programme and "State Banquet" hosted by the current chair of BRICS and the South African president.

On August 24, she spoke, as a member of the New Development Bank of BRICS, at Friends of BRICS Leaders Dialogue (BRICS-Africa Outreach and the BRICS Plus Dialogues) comprising representatives from 70 countries.

On the sidelines of the BRICS Summit, bilateral meetings between Sheikh Hasina and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, President of Mozambique Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, President of Tanzania Dr Saima Sulluhu and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi were held at Sandton Convention Centre on Thursday.

A meeting was also held between the Bangladesh premier and President of the New Development Bank Dilma Vana Rousseff at the same venue.

During the meetings, the dignitaries highly praised Bangladesh‍‍`s remarkable development under Sheikh Hasina‍‍`s prudent leadership, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said in a media briefing.

During her visit, the PM also met Bangladeshi expatriates living in South Africa.