Staff correspondent :

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina arrived in Belgium today to attend the “Global Gateway Forum” to be held in Brussels on October 25-26 at the invitation of European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen.
A Biman Bangladesh Airlines commercial flight (BG207) carrying the Prime Minister and her entourage landed at Brussels Javentem Airport, Belgium at 6.30pm today (Brussels time).
Bangladesh Ambassador to Belgium Mahbub Hasan Saleh welcomed the Prime Minister at the airport.
En route to Brussels, the Prime Minister visited each end of the flight and exchanged pleasantries with passengers and crew.
He took one-year-old baby Yasin in his arms and spent some time with him during the flight. At one point the child took away his (Prime Minister’s) glasses.
Many passengers were seen taking pictures and selfies, with women hugging the Prime Minister.
Earlier, the flight left Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 9 am.
During the visit, the Prime Minister will hold several meetings with leaders of European countries on the sidelines of the forum.
On the morning of October 25, he will hold a bilateral meeting with EC Executive Vice President and European Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis.
Later, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh will hold a bilateral meeting with EC President Ursula von der Leyen.
After this bilateral meeting, a loan support agreement of 350 million Euros will be signed between the Economic Relations Department (ERD) of the Government of Bangladesh and the European Investment Bank in the renewable energy sector.
A grant agreement of 45 million euros will be signed between the European Commission and the European Investment Bank for the renewable energy sector of Bangladesh.
A 12 million euro grant agreement will also be signed between the Government of Bangladesh and the European Commission in Bangladesh’s renewable energy sector.
During this visit, the Government of Bangladesh and the European Commission will sign five different grant agreements worth 70 million euros in the social sector of Bangladesh.
On the same day, Sheikh Hasina will attend and address the inaugural plenary session of the Global Gateway Forum.
In the afternoon, the president of the European Investment Bank. Warner Hoare will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
EC Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic and EC Commissioner for International Partnerships Juta Urpillainen will pay a courtesy call on the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
In the evening the Prime Minister will attend a dinner hosted by Ursula von der Leyen in honor of the Heads of State and Government participating in the Global Gateway Forum.
On October 26, he will hold a bilateral meeting with his Belgian counterpart Alexandre de Crewe.
The Prime Minister will also hold a bilateral meeting with Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel.
In the afternoon of the same day, Sheikh Hasina will attend a reception for Bangladeshi expatriates living in Belgium.
TV channels Euronews and Politico will interview the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to return home on October 27.