OIC chief in city

Iyad Ameen Madani, the Secretary General of the 57-nation OIC, has arrived in Dhaka city. Foreign ministry spokesman Md Shameem Ahsan said that Madani arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal (RA) International Airport on an Etihad flight at 7.40am on Sunday. Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Huq received him at the airport, Ahsan said. Earlier the IOC Secretary General was scheduled to arrive on Saturday evening, but his flight had been rescheduled. The foreign ministry did not cite any reasons for the flight rescheduling. The OIC chief is leading a five-member delegation in his first Bangladesh visit after taking office. A former minister of Saudi Arabia, Madani assumed office as the 10th Secretary General of the OIC on January 1 after his election in the 12th OIC Summit in Egyptian capital Cairo in February last year. The foreign ministry said Bangladesh was among the first few countries that he had decided to visit after taking charge of the second largest international organisation. He is expected to call on President Md Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid, and Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque. He will also visit some institutions, according to bdnews24.com.