PM leaves Johannesburg for home

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today left here for home after wrapping up her South Africa visit to attend the 15th BRICS Summit.

She attended the summit held on August 22-24 at the invitation of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

A regular flight of the Emirates Airlines carrying the prime minister and her entourage members departed from the OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg, South Africa at 2pm (local time).

PM’s younger sister Sheikh Rehana and only daughter Saima Wazed are accompanying her.

Bangladesh High Commissioner to South Africa Noor-E Helal Saifur Rahman saw the premier off at the airport.

The flight is scheduled to land at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA), Dhaka at 8:40 am (BD time) on August 27 after a brief stopover at the Dubai International Airport in UAE.

Earlier, South Africa unit Awami League (AL) leaders met the prime minister at her place of residence Hotel Hilton Sandton in Johannesburg before she left for the airport on way home.

The prime minister arrived in Johannesburg on August 22 to attend the summit.

South Africa hosted the historic summit of BRICS nations — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

It was the first BRICS Summit hosted in person since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent global restrictions.

President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended it.

On August 23, the prime minister delivered a speech as the chief guest at the “Bangladesh Trade and Business Summit” jointly organized by Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) and Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA).

Later, she attended the “Bangladesh Envoys Conference” organized by Bangladesh ambassadors stationed in African countries.

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

At 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 addressed on behalf of Bangladesh as a member of the “New Development Bank of BRICS” at the 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.

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

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

At the evening, she met the Bangladeshi expatriates living in South Africa.