Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina arrived here Thursday afternoon to a red
carpet welcome on a two-day official visit to attend the Commonwealth Heads
of Government Meeting, 2013. A special flight of Biman Bangladesh
Airlines carrying the Prime Minister and her entourage landed at the
Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo at 4:45 pm (local time).Sri Lankan Power and Energy Minister Poravithra Devi Wannia Rachchi and
Bangladesh High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Md Sufiur Rahman received Sheikh
Hasina at the airport. After the ceremonial reception, a group of Sri
Lankan artists displayed local dance in honor of the Prime Minister at the
airport. From the Colombo Airport, Hasina drove in a ceremonial motorcade
to Taj Somudra Hotel where she will be staying during the visit. Earlier,
a special flight of Biman carrying the Prime Minister and her 47-member
entourage took off from Shahjalal International Airport at about 2:10 pm.
Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni and Ambassador at-Large M Ziauddin are
accompanying the Prime Minister. In the evening today (Thursday), Indian
External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid will call on Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina at the Taj Somudra Hotel. On Friday morning, Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina will reach the Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa Theater in
Colombo where she will be greeted at the lobby by Sri Lankan President
Mahinda Rajapaksa, Madam Shiranthi Wickramasinghe Rajapaksa, and
Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma and his wife. Hasina will
then attend the opening ceremony of the CHOGM where Sri Lankan President
Mahinda Rajapaksa, Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma, Prime
Minister of Australia Tony Abbott and the Prince of Wales will deliver
their addresses. After attending an official photo session, Hasina will
then depart for Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial Exhibition Center (SBMEC)
where she will attend the Executive Session of CHOGM I. She will then meet
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Bandaranaike Memorial
International Conference Hall (BMICH). The Prime Minister will attend a
reception to be hosted by Commonwealth Secretary General for the heads of
government to meet civil society and media representatives at BMICH.
Hasina will then take part in the CHOGM Executive Session II at SBMEC
before meeting New Zealand Prime Minister John Key at BMICH on Friday
evening before departing Bandaranaike International Airport for Dhaka at
8:00 pm (local time). The Prime Minister is expected to return home on
Friday midnight. The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) is
held every two years to enable leaders of Commonwealth countries to come
together to discuss global and Commonwealth issues, and to decide on
collective policies and initiatives. This year CHOGM is taking place in
Sri Lanka, the first time an Asian country is hosting the summit in 24
years. Every CHOGM is jointly organised by the host country and the
Commonwealth Secretariat. These biennial meetings serve as the principal
policy and decision-making forum to guide the strategic direction of the
association. – UNB
