ZCZC
BSS-01
PM-BRUNEI-DEPARTURE
PM leaves for Brunei
DHAKA, April 21, 2019 (BSS) – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka
for Brunei Darussalam this morning on a three-day official visit at the
invitation of the kingdom’s Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah.
A special flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the premier and
her entourage members took off from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport
(HSIA) at 8.25 am.
Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Huq, Home Minister
Asaduzzaman Khan, State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Mahbub Ali,
Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam, Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary
Md. Nojibur Rahman, Chief of Air Force, and acting chiefs of Army and Navy
were present at the airport to see the prime minister off.
The flight is scheduled to land at Brunei International Airport in
Bandar Seri Begawan, the Brunei capital, at 2:45 pm local time when Crown
Prince of Brunei Darussalam Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah is expected to receive
her at the airport.
After the official welcome function, a ceremonial motorcade will escort
the prime minister to Empire Hotel and Country Club, where she will be
staying during her visit.
On the first day of the visit, Sheikh Hasina will join a community
reception to be hosted in her honour by the expatriate Bangladeshis in Brunei
at Indera Samudera Ballroom of Empire Hotel and Country Club.
The prime minister will attend a dinner to be hosted by the high
commissioner of Bangladesh to Brunei the same day.
On Monday morning, Sheikh Hasina will have a general audience with
Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah and Royal family at Cheradi Laila Kenchana at
the Istana Nurul Iman, the official residence of the Sultan.
After the audience, the prime minister will hold bilateral talks with
the Sultan at Baitul Mesyuarah in Istana Nurul Iman.
The talks will be followed by signing ceremony of memorandum of
understanding (MoU).
In the afternoon, the prime minister will join a meeting between
Bangladesh Business Community and Brunei Business Community and Brunei
National Chamber of Commerce and Industry at Empire Hotel and Country Club.
She will visit Jame Asr Mosque and offer Asr prayers there.
Sheikh Hasina will attend official banquet to be hosted in her honour by
the Sultan at Istana Nurul Iman.
On Tuesday morning, the prime minister will lay the foundation stone of
new Chancery Building of Bangladesh High Commission at the Diplomatic Enclave
at Jalan Kebangsaan in Brunei capital.
Later, she will visit Royal Regalia Museum.
Sheikh Hasina will leave Brunei for home at 5 pm local time and reach
Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka in the evening.
During the visit, Bangladesh is likely to sign seven Memorandums of
Understanding (MoUs) with Brunei on various sectors.
“We’ve already finalized six MoUs on various sectors, while one is under
consideration,” Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen told a news briefing at
the foreign ministry here on Thursday.
The six MoUs which have been finalised are: Assistance in using science
and technology in agriculture; Liaison in the field of arts and culture;
Cooperation in sports and youth related activities; Cooperation in the field
of fisheries; Assistance in the field of livestock; and Cooperation in the
field of fuel and energy.
Apart from boosting relations between the two countries, the foreign
minister hoped that the visit would be very successful in increasing
bilateral trade relations.
“We do believe that the prime minister’s visit will further strengthen
the bilateral relations as well as cooperation on energy, trade, investment,
agriculture, food, air connectivity, human resource development, tourism and
technology between the two countries,” he said.
Brunei has already expressed its keen interest to invest in Bangladesh’s
different sectors, especially agriculture and energy fields, he said.
Momen said Brunei is an important partner of Bangladesh in the
international arena as the country is a member of both the OIC (Organisation
of Islamic Cooperation) and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations).
The foreign minister said Bangladesh will discuss with Brunei about safe
repatriation of Rohingyas to Myanmar from Bangladesh during the visit.
“Wherever we are going, we are raising the Rohingya repatriation issue
with highest importance… so it will also get priority during the Brunei
visit in particular as they (Brunei) are member of ASEAN,” he said.
Brunei is a Southeast Asian country consisting of two unconnected parts
with a total area of 5,765 square kilometres on the island of Borneo. It has
161 kilometres of coastline next to the South China Sea, and it shares a 381
km border with Malaysia. Brunei is one of the richest countries of the world
thanks to its bountiful oil and gas.
BSS/SH/AHJ/FI/ 0840 hrs