Online Desk: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to visit the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) from November 5 to attend the International Conference on Women in Islam which will be held in Jeddah.

The Kingdom in coordination with the general secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will host the conference on November 6-8.

The prime minister will travel to Madina by a commercial flight from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on November 5, said Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen.

She is likely to travel to Jeddah from Madina by train and attend the conference on November 6 evening, Momen said.

She will then visit Makkah where she will perform Umrah, said the foreign minister, adding that she plans to return on November 7 by another commercial flight. “Things are being finalized.”

Saudi Arabia and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) are taking preparations for the conference, an official told UNB.

OIC Secretary General Hissein Brahim Taha, Iranian vice president and Saudi foreign minister, among others, will meet the prime minister during the visit, Momen said.

Bangladesh has strongly condemned the killing of innocent civilians including women and children and demanded an immediate end to Israeli brutalities in Palestine. Bangladesh is likely to reiterate its position on the Palestine issue.

Sharing the importance of PM’s participation at the conference, Momen said the prime minister is a “star” in women’s empowerment and has earned a reputation globally for her efforts.

She has empowered women at the grassroots level apart from women’s participation in every sector, he said.

The 49th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers held in Mauritania, in March 2023, called for holding an international conference on women in Islam and welcomed the offer made by Saudi Arabia to host it in coordination with the General Secretariat.

The conference aims to clarify women’s rights and responsibilities in Islam, especially women’s rights to education and work as per the teachings of Islam, with broad participation from scholars of the Muslim Ummah.

Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Bangladesh, Essa Yousef Essa Al Duhailan, met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina last week at her official residence Ganabhaban and handed over a letter inviting her to participate in the conference on women in Islam.

He also handed over another letter seeking support of Bangladesh for his country’s bid to host FIFA World Cup 2034. The prime minister responded positively in this regard.