Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina arrived in Doha, Qatar on Saturday  to participate in the 5th United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5) slated for March 5-9. A VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, carrying the prime minister and her entourage, which departed Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 11:15am (Dhaka time) landed at Hamad International Airport, Doha at 1:30pm local time (Doha time). She is visiting Qatar at the invitation of the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.  Hasina will have separate meetings with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, UNGA President Csaba Korosi and UNDP administrator Achim Steiner at Qatar National Convention Centre (QCC) on Saturday. ALso Read: PM Hasina holds meeting with former British PM Sir Tony Blair During her stay in Qatar till March 08, the PM will lead a high-level delegation and will hold bilateral meeting with her Qatari counterpart apart from her participation at the LDC5 conference.   She will also have a meeting with the Emir of Qatar. Bilateral issues including cooperation in the areas of energy sector will come up for discussion. On March 5, the PM will deliver a speech at the opening plenary meeting of the LDC5 Conference as a special guest at the QCC. Then she will have separate meetings with Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Rwanda President Paul Kagame, Secretary General of United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Rebeca Grynspan and Secretary General of International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Doreen Bogdan-Martin there. Besides, the Prime Minister will also deliver a speech at a side event titled “Sustainable and Smooth Transition for the Graduating Cohort of 2021,” which will be arranged jointly by Bangladesh, Laos and Nepal. On March 6, Hasina will speak as the chief guest at a business summit, titled “The Rise of Bengal Tiger: Potential of Trade and Investment in Bangladesh” in the St. Regis Doha. She will also have meeting with Malawi President Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera and participate in a side event tiled “Investment in Research and Development in LDCs for Smart and Innovative Societies” in the QCC, and join the Regional Envoy Conference at the place of residence. On March 7, the Prime Minister will attend a high-level dialogue on “Enhancing the participation of LDCs in International Trade and Regional Integration.” She will hold meeting with Denmark Minister for Development Cooperation Dan Jorgensen, attend event titled “Global Partnership for Smooth and Sustainable Graduation: Marching towards Smart Bangladesh” as the special guest in the QCC as well as join a civic reception to be hosted by Bangladeshi community living in Qatar.  Hasina is scheduled to leave Doha for Dhaka on March 8.  In the LDC5 Conference in Doha, world leaders will gather with the leaders from private sector and civil society, parliamentarians, and young people to advance new ideas, raise new pledges of support, and spur delivery on agreed commitments, through the Doha Programme of Action.    

Bangladesh has demanded preferential trade facilities from Canada till 2030 to help the country tide over the post-pandemic challenges. Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen held a virtual meeting with Canadian Minister of International Development Karina Gould on Wednesday and made the request.  They expressed optimism regarding the co-chairmanship of Bangladesh and Canada in the preparatory process of the upcoming 5th UN Conference on Least Developed Countries (LDC-5) to be held in Doha in January next year. On climate change, Foreign Minister Momen sought Canada’s support in COP26 in terms of realising the demand that each country must implement their respective nationally determined contributions (NDCs).  Bangladesh has taken various adaptation and mitigation measures, including the “Mujib Prosperity Plan” envisaging using renewable energy to meet 40% of its energy needs. Momen also urged Canada to consider providing financial assistance to the regional Global Adaptation Centre (GAC) established in Bangladesh in order to effectively address climate change through adaptation measures in the region.  The Canadian Minister appreciated Bangladesh’s decision not to build any more coal-based power plants, citing climate change risks as an existential threat for the globe.  She concluded by underscoring that Canada remains committed to work with Bangladesh, including on Rohingya, climate change and LDC issues. She also expressed optimism that she would be able to visit Bangladesh in person in near future on a request from Momen. The Foreign Minister also reiterated Bangladesh’s strong expectation that Nur Chowdhury, the convicted killer of the Father of the Nation, would be sent back to Bangladesh, underscoring that this would ensure justice and the rule of law.  Canadian Minister Karina Gould congratulated Bangladesh on the occasion of the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Golden Jubilee of Independence.  She stated that the co-chairmanship of both countries in the preparatory process of the LDC-5 Conference is a good opportunity to work together.  Expressing Bangladesh’s appreciation to the important message of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the occasion of the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Golden Jubilee of the Independence, Foreign Minister Momen said the bilateral ties between the two countries "continue to remain very strong".