PM leaves for Geneva today

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Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina leaves Dhaka for Doha en route to Geneva on a 13-day official visit to Switzerland, Canada and France, reports BSS. A Qatar Airways flight carrying the Bangladesh Premier and members of her entourage will take off Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport today (Sunday) morning for the Qatari capital, according to Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In Switzerland, the Prime Minister will attend the 16th congress of World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and the 64th World Health Assembly. She is scheduled to address the high-level segment of the WMO congress on May 16 and deliver a keynote address at the 64th World Health Assembly the next day. Outgoing WMO President Dr Alexander Bedritskiy and Secretary- General Michel Jarraud will open the congress on May 16. Heads of state and government and ministers of member countries and territories will attend the segment of the congress. Apart from joining the two high-level programmes, Hasina will hold talks with Director General of WTO Pascal Lamy, Microsoft Chairman William Bill H. Gates and UN Secretary General on Conference on Trade and Development Dr Supachai Panitchpakdi. According to the official schedule, the Prime Minister will leave Geneva on May 18 for Canada and then leave Canada on May 24 for France. The Bangladesh Premier will address the launching programme of Global Initiatives on Girls' and Women's Education in Paris on May 26. The Prime Minister is expected to return home on May 28. Health Minister Dr A F M Ruhal Haque, Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni, PM's Health Adviser Dr Syed Modasser Ali, State Minister for Environment and Forests Dr Hasan Mahmud Chowdhury, Ambassador-At-Large M Ziauddin, Dr Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin, MP, Principal Secretary M A Karim, Foreign Secretary Mohamed Mijarul Quayes and Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad, among others, will accompany the Prime Minister during her visit.