PM Hasina returns home after 3-day official visit to Belgium

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has returned home after wrapping up her three-day official visit to Belgium.

A commercial flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, carrying the premier and her entourage members landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 11:51 am on Friday.

On board her return flight, the prime minister exchanged pleasantries with the passengers going from one seat to another. She asked about the wellbeing of the surprised passengers.

The aircraft departed from Brussels Zaventem Airport at 10:10 pm on Thursday local time (2:10 am on Friday Bangladesh time).

In Brussels the PM attended the "Global Gateway Forum-2023" on October 25-26 at the invitation of the European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen.

During her stay in Brussels, Hasina had a number of meetings with leaders of European countries, the European Commission (EC), the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Parliament as well as attended a community reception on the sidelines of the Forum.

On Wednesday, she attended the opening plenary session of the Global Gateway Forum and had bilateral meetings with EC President Ursula von der Leyen and EC Executive Vice President and Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis, meetings with EIB President Dr Werner Hoyer, Vice President of European Parliament Nicola Beer, European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic and European Commissioner for International Partnership Jutta Urpilainen, and attended an official dinner hosted by the EC President.

The Bangladesh PM, the EC President and the EIB President witnessed the signing of a number of loan and grants agreements inked to provide some 477 million Euro to Bangladesh –some 407 million Euro for renewable (green) energy sector and some 70 million Euro for the social sector.

On Thursday, Hasina held bilateral meetings with her Belgian counterpart Alexander De Croo and Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, attended the Closing Plenary Session of the Global Gateway Forum and community reception accorded to her by Bangladeshi expatriates living in Belgium.