Dhaka: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka on Sunday morning for Indian southwest state of Goa to join the BRICS-BIMSTEC Leaders’ Outreach Summit. The prime minister left Dhaka at about 8:00am by a Biman flight and expected to reach Goa at about 10:45am (Indian time).

Ministers and top civil and military officials saw the Prime Minister off at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

Indian Minister of Science and Technology Alina Saldanha, Secretary (Cooperation) Padma Jaiswal, High Commissioner of Bangladesh to India Syed Moazzem Ali and Deputy High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Mumbai Samina Naz will receive her on her arrival at Goa.

She will be given static guard and pass through a cultural programme.

Later, the Prime Minister will be driven through a ceremonial motorcade to Hotel Leela Goa where she will be staying during her tour.

The theme of the Summit is ‘A partnership in Opportunities’ and the Outreach Summit is being organised on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit that began on Saturday.

Heads of states and governments of other Bimstec countries will also attend the Outreach Summit.

During the visit, the Prime Minister will have a bilateral meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Before the talks, she will attend a dinner to be hosted for Bimstec leaders.

The bilateral meeting is likely to last for 30 minutes from about Indian time 9:00pm to 9:30pm on Sunday that will cover a whole range of bilateral issues; said an official.

Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, PM’s Principal Secretary Md Abul Kalam Azad and Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque, among others, will be accompanying her as her entourage.

Earlier on Friday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the first-ever Bimstec outreach meeting with its leaders will be a significant event and hoped that it will yield dividends for all.

‘The outreach with Bimstec leaders is significant. We hope to tap the huge potential for cooperation and the dividends this will bring,’ he tweeted.

Modi, in separate tweets, said India is facilitating an outreach Summit with Bimstec leaders of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

The Bangladesh Prime Minister will also attend a lunch to be hosted by Goa Chief Minister Lakshmikant Parsekar at Jamawar Terrace.

A retreat meeting of the Bimstec leaders which will be held at about Indian time 3:45pm to 4:30pm.

The prime minister will return home at 10:45 am on Monday.