Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today returned home from London after wrapping up her 15-day tri-nation visit to Japan, the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK). A flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, carrying the premier and her entourage members, landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport here at 10:05 am. Earlier, the flight departed from Heathrow International Airport, London at 6:25pm on Monday (London time). On April 25, the prime minister on the first leg of her three-nation visit reached Japan as a special VVIP flight (BG1403) of the Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying her and entourage members landed at the Haneda International Airport, Tokyo at 4:45pm (local time). Japan 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 stay at Tokyo, Sheikh Hasina and her Japanese counterpart witnessed the exchange of eight instruments, mostly memorandums of understanding, signed between Dhaka and Tokyo to boost cooperation in the sectors of agriculture, metro-rail, industrial up-gradation, ship-recycling, customs matters, intellectual property, defense, ICT and cyber security.
On April 26, the premier 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. 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.
