Staff Correspondent

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will pay an official visit to Bangkok, Thailand, from 24 to 29 April at the invitation of the prime minister of the Kingdom of Thailand, Srettha Thavisin.

The scheduled bilateral visit of the prime minister will be the first-ever visit at the level of head of government from Bangladesh to Thailand since the establishment of diplomatic relations, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on Thursday.

The visit is significant for both Bangladesh and Thailand as it will open new windows of cooperation between the two friendly countries, the ministry said.

Sheikh Hasina would lead a high-level delegation that includes a number of ministers, advisers, secretaries, and senior officials of the government.

Finance Minister AH Mahmood Ali, PM’s Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman F Rahman among others will accompany the prime minister during the visit, a senior official told UNB.

State Minister for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak and State Minister for Commerce Ahasanul Islam Titu will also be part of the Bangladesh delegation, he said.

On 26 April, Sheikh Hasina will be formally received by her Thai counterpart Srettha Thavisin while a ceremonial guard of honour will be accorded to her.

On the same day, the Bangladesh prime minister will hold bilateral talks with Thavisin at the Government House.

During the visit, she will have a Royal audience of Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua, and Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshan, king and queen of the Kingdom of Thailand at the Palace.

Sheikh Hasina is also scheduled to attend a state lunch to be hosted by her Thai counterpart in her honour.

A number of memorandums of understanding (MoUs) and agreements are expected to be signed during the visit, according to the MoFA.

Prime Minister Hasina is scheduled to attend the 80th Session of the Commission for UNESCAP.

She will deliver a speech at UNESCAP on 25 April. On the same day, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission of Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Armida Salsiah Alisjabana will call on the prime minister.

Guided by the theme “Leveraging digital innovation for sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific,” the eightieth session will be an opportunity to strengthen region-wide cooperative action on leveraging digital innovation for the accelerated implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The session will bring together government leaders and ministers from across Asia and the Pacific and other key stakeholders to discuss how digital innovation can more inclusively contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals across multiple disciplines.

Moreover, participants will be able to identify opportunities to fully unleash the transformative potential of digital innovations and discuss pathways to strengthen their contribution to sustainable development, said the organisers.

A digital innovation fair will provide space to engage with a broad range of partners and stakeholders showcasing digital innovations that are already contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals across the region.

Asia and the Pacific is uniquely placed to leverage digital technologies to overcome sustainable development challenges.

Already, the region is recognised as a dynamic hub for digitally driven innovation fuelled by pioneering technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Digital Finance, GovTech, and the Internet of Things.

Yet to encourage further ingenuity and tap digital innovation to bolster the huge collective effort required to achieve Sustainable Development Goals, the region needs a plan.