By NNN-BSS,
Dhaka : Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left here for Italy this morning on a four-day official visit to attend the World Summit on Food Security-2009.
Deputy Leader of the House Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, Post and Telecommunications Minister Raziuddin Ahmed Razu, Adviser to the Prime Minister HT Imam, State Minister for Environment and Forest Dr Hasan Mahmud, State Minister for Home Advocate Shamsul Haque Tuku, Chiefs of three services and high civil and military officials saw the Prime Minister off at the airport.
Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is organizing the three-day summit beginning tomorrow at a time when the world is facing food crisis due to the climate change and global economic recession.
The Prime Minister, who is leading a high-profile delegation to the summit, will make a stopover in Dubai on her way to Rome by a Bangladesh Biman flight.
The Bangladesh Premier will attend the 11th International Aerospace Exhibition in Dubai and hold a meeting with the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) this afternoon.
During her stay in Rome, Sheikh Hasina will attend the inaugural function of the summit to be held at the FAO Headquarters in Rome. She will make her statement in the summit tomorrow afternoon.
Sheikh Hasina will also attend a roundtable meeting on `Climate change adaptation and mitigation challenges for agriculture and food security’.
Apart from this, the Prime Minister is expected to hold separate meetings with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio LULA da Silva, FAO Director General Dr Jacques Diouf and Executive Director of World Food Programme Ms Josette Sheeram.
Sheikh Hasina will hold a meeting with his Holiness Pope Benedict XVI at the Holy See.
The Prime Minister will attend a reception to be accorded to her tomorrow and will hold a meeting with expatriate Bangladeshis
living in Europe and Italy at Cinema Teatro Orione on November
17.
The Bangladesh delegation includes, among others, Agriculture Minister Begum Matia Chowdhury, Food Minister Dr Abdur Razzak, Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni, Former Ambassador M Ziauddin, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Md Abdul Karim, Press Secretary to the Prime Minister Abul Kalam Azad and Agriculture Secretary CQK Mustaq Ahmed.
The Prime Minister is expected to return home on November 19 morning.