Blair arrives Aug 20
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife Cherry Blair will visit Bangladesh on August 20-22 to attend a programme of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation (TBFF), official sources said.
This is for the first time Tony Blair will be visiting Bangladesh. Foreign ministry officials said the former British Premier will be given VVIP protocol during his three-day visit.
The TBFF aims to promote respect and understanding about the world's major religions and show how faith is a powerful force in the modern world. The foundation will work with Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists.
Tony Blair, who believes that faith has great influence on meeting the challenges of globalisation, will address a gathering of younger generation in Dhaka.
Foreign Ministry sources said during his visit, he will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister Dipu Moni. He may also meet other high government officials, opposition and civil society leaders, but detail about his programmes could not be known.
Officials at the British High Commission in Dhaka could not give anything about Tony Blair's visit, saying that the high commission is not directly involved with his visit as it is his private tour.
British High Commissioner in Dhaka Stephen Evans met with Dipu Moni yesterday and was learnt to have discussed with her, among other things, Blair's visit to Bangladesh.
Another source at the foreign ministry, however, said Tony Blair and Cherry Blair are coming to Bangladesh at the invitation of Asian University for Women (AUW). None at the AUW could be contacted.
Tony Blair, who now works for the USA, UN, Russia and EU as the Quartet Representative, helping the Palestinians to prepare for statehood as part of the international community's effort to secure peace, is also leading the Tony Blair Sports Foundation and Breaking the 'Climate Deadlock' initiative.
The Faith Foundation uses the full power of modern communications to support and step up efforts at every level to educate, inform and develop understanding about the different faiths and between them.
Cherie Blair, a leading international lawyer and human rights advocate, is one of the patrons of AUW in Chittagong. She visited Bangladesh in January and launched the Cherie Blair Fellowships at the AUW.
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