Staff Correspondent:Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina arrived in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta on a three-day official visit to attend the Leaders' Summit of Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), a grouping of nations having coastlines with the world�s third largest ocean.
Indonesian minister for female empowerment and children protection Yohana Susana Yembise and Bangladesh ambassador in Jakarta Major General Azmal Kabir received the premier at the Halim Pardana Kusuma International Airport in Jakarta.
A Biman Bangladesh Airlines aircraft took off Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 8.55 am carrying the Prime Minister and her entourage members and landed in Jakarta at 2.50 pm local time, after nearly five hours of flight.
Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, Commerce Minister Tofael Ahmed, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon, Minister for Road Transport and Bridges Obaidul Kader, PM's advisor HT Imam, Chief Whip A S M Firoz, chiefs of three services and senior officials saw her off at the Shahjalal airport.
Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali is accompanying the premier, who also leads a 60-member business delegation headed by FBCCI President Abdul Matlub Ahmed.
Officials earlier said the prime minister was determined to arrange bilateral meetings with Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on the sidelines of the summit.
The premier will join the auspicating ceremony of the summit tomorrow and attend the general debate on "Strengthening Maritime Cooperation for a Peaceful, Stable, and Prosperous Indian Ocean Rim" touching countries in three continents of Asia, Australia and Africa.