State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir has left Dhaka for Antigua and Barbuda to lead Bangladesh's delegation to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM 2026), with the status and protocol privileges of a full cabinet minister.

Kobir departed Dhaka on Saturday morning for St John's, the capital of Antigua and Barbuda, where the four-day Commonwealth summit begins today, according to a foreign ministry press release issued here today.

He is scheduled to arrive in St John's today after travelling via Dubai and London.

The state minister will represent Bangladesh at the high-level gathering in his capacity as acting foreign minister, having been accorded the status, authority and protocol privileges of a full cabinet minister for the duration of the meeting.

He will attend the opening and executive sessions of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), as well as several foreign minister (FM)-level meetings and a number of bilateral meetings with ministers from other countries.

The engagements are expected to provide opportunities for Bangladesh to strengthen diplomatic relations and discuss issues of mutual interest with Commonwealth partners.

According to a notification issued by the Cabinet Division on October 25, Kobir was accorded full cabinet ministerial status specifically to lead the Bangladesh delegation to CHOGM 2026 and discharge the responsibilities of foreign minister during the summit.

The notification, signed by Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Ghani, granted him the authority under Clause 4(iii) of the Rules of Business, 1996.

Under the arrangement, the state minister will represent Bangladesh at the Commonwealth's highest-level political gathering with the rank and protocol privileges of a cabinet minister.

The summit, scheduled for November 1 to 4 in St John's, will bring together heads of government, ministers and senior representatives of Commonwealth member states.

This year's meeting is being held under the theme "Accelerating Partnerships and Investment for a Prosperous Commonwealth".

The gathering will focus on strengthening partnerships among member countries, promoting sustainable investment and addressing shared challenges, including climate resilience, trade, innovation and sustainable development.

The Commonwealth comprises 56 member countries across Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, the Americas, Europe and the Pacific.