Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will visit Tungipara upazila in Gopalganj on Monday through the Padma Bridge for the first time. The Prime Minister’s Office confirmed to UNB on Sunday that she will make the journey by road and will return by helicopter later. According to the Gopalganj district information office, the PM will start for Tungipara at 7 am from Ganabhaban on Monday. Also read: PM calls for best use of domestic resources for national development After arrival she will place wreath at the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s mausoleum at 11 am and will offer offered Surah Fatiha and prayers. She will join a milad mahfil arranged there and will meet the leaders of the district and upazila Awami League and its associate organisations at afternoon. The PM will also visit Bangabandhu’s launch terminal in Tungipara and will depart for Dhaka at 2 pm. The district administration has made all the necessary arrangements for the PM’s visit and the public entrance at Bangabandhu’s mausoleum was closed on Saturday evening. Also read: PM calls Padma Bridge a milestone to change the fate of people: PM For the next 24 hours from Sunday 5 pm to Monday 5pm opening of all kind of shops and vehicle movement will remain restricted at Patgati area of Tungipara, said the authority.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka for Abu Dhabi Monday afternoon on a five-day official visit to the United Arab Emirates. A VVIP flight of state-run Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the PM and her entourage took off from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 4:15 pm. The aircraft is scheduled to land at Abu Dhabi International Airport at 7:40pm (local time).  Also read: Bangladesh, UAE to boost cooperation during PM's visit The prime minister is undertaking the visit at the invitation of UAE Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Makdoum, who is also the ruler of Dubai.

Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are likely to sign four to five MoUs during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's upcoming visit to the Gulf nation to further strengthen the bilateral relations. “This visit will play an important role in keeping the labor market intact and creating new avenues of investment in Bangladesh to strengthen the economic relations,” Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen told the media at state guesthouse Padma on Sunday afternoon. He said Bangladesh wants to enhance trade and investment between the two countries through more collaboration. Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, Secretary (East) Mashfee Binte Shams and senior officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were also present. Also read: Govt plans to improve life of stranded Biharis in Bangladesh:PM Before the media briefing, the foreign minister had a meeting with relevant ministers and PM's Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman F Rahman at the same venue to review the investment proposals that came from the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Hasina is scheduled to leave for UAE on Monday as the two countries eye to elevate the relationship to a comprehensive partnership with deeper political engagement. She will return home on March 12. She is going to the UAE at the invitation of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai and vice-president of the United Arab Emirates and will also attend a programme at “Expo 2020 Dubai” on March 8 marking the International Women’s Day, said the Foreign Minister. The prime minister has agreed to visit the UAE with the intention of highlighting the image of the country and its achievements in the economic sector including empowerment of women in Bangladesh, Momen said. Trade and commerce; investment, manpower and cooperation in other potential areas including renewable energy will be discussed during the visit. He said during the last financial year, about 30,000 workers from Bangladesh went to the UAE. “We hope that this number will increase in the future.” In terms of bilateral trade with the UAE, Momen said the imports and exports volume stood around US$ 2 billion but the trade deficit now stands at US$ 1.5 billion. “The main reason is that we import fuel from them. This visit will be important to increase the volume of our exports to that country. That is why the two countries will discuss ways to establish the direct shipping line,” said the foreign minister.