PM performs holy Umrah

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, now on a four-day official visit to Saudi Arabia, performed the holy Umrah in Makkah on Saturday night, state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha news agency report said.

The premier first performed “tawaf” around the holy Ka’aba Sharif and later walked and ran between Safa and Marwa.

Sheikh Hasina also offered prayers seeking divine blessings for the countrymen as well as continued peace, progress and prosperity of Muslim Ummah.

Sheikh Rehana, elder daughter of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and other entourage members of the prime minister also performed Umrah.

Sheikh Hasina reached Saudi Arabia on May 31 at the invitation of Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to join the 14th Summit of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) wrapping up her four-day visit to Japan, the first destination of her tri-nation tour.

The premier addressed the 14th OIC conference in Makkah on behalf of the Asia Group on the second day of her visit in Saudi Arabia on June 1.

On the third day of her visit in Saudi Arabia today, the prime minister will offer ziarat at the Rawza Mubarak of Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) at Masjid-e Nababi in the holy city of Madinah.

She will also offer prayers at the holy mosque. Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to leave Saudi Arabia tomorrow for Finland upon completion of her four-day visit there.

The prime minister will return home on June 8 wrapping up her 12-day tri-nation visit to Japan, Saudi Arabia and Finland.

Kamruzzaman