PM Sheikh Hasina arrives in London to attend King Charles III’s coronation

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday night arrived London from Washington DC to attend the coronation of Charles III and his wife Camilla as the King and the Queen Consort of the United Kingdom (UK) and the other Commonwealth realms.

A United Airlines flight carrying the prime minister and her entourage members landed at the Heathrow International Airport in London at 11:49pm (local time) on May 4.
Earlier, the flight departed from the Dulles International Airport in Washington DC around 11.30am (local time).

Younger daughter of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and PM’s only sister Sheikh Rehana is accompanying the prime minister.

Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK Saida Muna Tasneem received the prime minister at the airport when representative of HM’s Government Ambassador Alison Blackburne was present.

During her stay in London, she will also attend a programme of Commonwealth Leaders, an event fixed by the Cambridge University and a civic reception.

During her visit to US, the prime minister attended a programme marking 50 years of Bangladesh-World Bank partnership and some side events that include a roundtable with US business leaders and several meetings with WB’s incoming President Ajay Banga and Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Kristalina Georgieva alongside a civic reception.

She arrived in Washington DC on April 29 wrapping up her four-day official visit to Tokyo in Japan at the invitation of her Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida.

Earlier on April 25, a special chartered VVIP flight (BG1403) of the Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the prime minister and her entourage members landed at the Haneda International Airport, Tokyo at 4:45pm (local time).

apan had rolled out a red carpet to welcome the Bangladesh prime minister and gave her the state guard of honour at the airport.

During her visit to Japan, she signed eight instruments on agriculture, metro rail, industrial upgrade, ship recycling, customs matters, intellectual properties, defence cooperation, ICT and cyber security cooperation.

On April 26, Sheikh Hasina had a courtesy call on the Emperor of Japan Naruhito. Then on the same day, she held a bilateral meeting with her Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida after the signing of the deals.

The premier also attended an investment summit and a community reception alongside handing over the “Friends of Liberation War Honour” to four Japanese nationals on April 27 for their contribution to Bangladesh’s Liberation War in 1971.

The prime minister, as well, attended several additional bilateral meetings with Japanese foreign minister Yoshimasa Hayashi as well as leaders of JAICA, JETRO, JEBIC, JBPFL and JBCCEC.

She also had meetings with the former late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s wife Akie Abe and Japanese architect Tadao Ando.

The prime minister is scheduled to reach Dhaka from London on May 9.