PM Hasina departs for Brussels to attend Global Gateway Forum.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina departed for Brussels this morning for a three-day official visit to Belgium to attend the EU's Global Gateway Forum, to be held there on October 25-26.

She is going there at the invitation of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

"A commercial flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the prime minister and her entourage departed from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Dhaka at 11:10am," PM's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim said.

The flight is scheduled to land at Brussels-Zaventem Airport at 6:45pm local time.

During the visit, the prime minister will have a number of meetings with leaders of European countries on the sidelines of the forum.

On Wednesday, the premier will hold separate bilateral meetings with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as well as European Commission Executive Vice President and European Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis.

Afterwards, she along with the European Commission president and the European Investment Bank president will witness the signing of a loan agreement between Bangladesh and the bank. The EU will provide pound 407 million to Bangladesh in the form of concessional loans and grants. Of this, pound 350 million will be concessional loans.

On the same day, Sheikh Hasina will attend the Global Gateway Forum's opening plenary session and deliver a speech.

She will have a meeting with European Investment Bank President Dr Werner Hoyer in the afternoon.

Besides, European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic and Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen will call on the Bangladesh premier.

In the evening, the prime minister will attend a dinner hosted by the European Commission president in honour of the heads of states and governments participating in the Global Gateway Forum.

On Thursday, the prime minister will hold a bilateral meeting with her Belgian counterpart, Alexander De Croo.

The premier will also hold a meeting with Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel.

In the afternoon, Sheikh Hasina will attend a community reception that will be accorded to her by Bangladeshi expatriates living in Belgium.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to return to Bangladesh on Friday, after leaving Brussels at 10pm on Thursday local time.