Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina leaves Dhaka for South Africa today to attend Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) at Durban, reports UNB.

i The three-day summit will begin on November 12. Heads of State or government from 54 members states are expected to attend the summit.

■ The special theme of this year's CHOGM is "People-Centred Development: The Challenge of Globalisation."

The economic agenda is expected to focus on now to integrate different countries of the world, specially developing and least developed ones. In the international commercial system within the framework of WTO.

The Durban CHOGM is important fqr Serjgladesb. ar fqrmer Foreign Secretary Farooq Sobhan is contesting for the post of the Commonwealth Secretary General. He is contesting against New Zealand Foreign Minister Don McKinon.

Foreign Minister Abdus Samad Azad. PM's Principal Secretary Dr SA Samad. Foreign Secretary CM Shafi Sami and PM's Press Secretary Jawadul Karim are accompanying the Prime Minister as members of the official delegation.

The Prime Minister will visit Saudi Arabia from November 16-18 on her way back home.

She will perform Umrah at Makkah and offer fateha at Madinah AI-Manuarah on November 17-18.

The Prime Minister is expected to return home on November 19.