Hasina-Modi meeting likely in New York

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi is likely to sit for a meeting in New York on the sidelines of the 76th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

The premiers of the two neighbouring countries may discuss bilateral and international issues during the meeting, a source at the Ministry of External Affairs said. The date for the meeting is yet to be fixed, the source added.

The meeting between Sheikh Hasina and Narendra Modi is seen as very important one.

The two leaders held the last bilateral meeting in Dhaka on March 27 during Modi’s two-day official visit to Bangladesh, marking 50 years of Bangladesh’s War of Independence and Mujib Borsho, the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The possibility of the meeting between Sheikh Hasina and Narendra Modi has come to the fore as they are scheduled to address the UNGA on September 24 and September 25 respectively.

Sources at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said the Bangladesh premier is likely to hold bilateral meetings with a number of world leaders on the sidelines of the UNGA in New York.

The world leaders she is expected to hold meetings with include Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen, Prime Minister of Barbados Ms. Mia Amor Mottley Q.C, Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte, Queen M xima of the Netherlands, President of Maldives Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and President of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phyc, they said.

Besides, the Bangladesh premier will hold bilateral talks with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and President of EU Council Charles Michel.

Sheikh Hasina reached Helsinki, the capital of Finland, on Friday evening en route to New York.

She will leave Helsinki for New York at 4:00pm (the Finish capital time) on September 19 and is scheduled to reach John F. Kennedy International Airport at 6:00pm (local time) the same day.

Sheikh Hasina will address the General Debate of the 76th Session of the UNGA at the UN Headquarters on September 24.

Like the previous years, the premier will present her address in Bangla following the footprint of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who had delivered his historic speech at the UN in Bangla in 1974.