Diplomatic Correspondent //

Photo: Collected. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is traveling to New York next Monday, September 21, to attend the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly. He is scheduled to deliver a speech at the session on September 24.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the duration of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s visit to the United States—including New York—has been shortened. Consequently, he will depart from New York for Dhaka on the night of September 25, the day after his speech.

Several senior ministry officials stated that the initial plan was for Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to visit the United States from September 21 to 29, with preparations underway for him to travel from New York to San Francisco.

Government sources indicated that the Prime Minister’s entourage for this brief New York visit is also limited in size. This compact delegation and shortened visit to the UN General Assembly session reflect the Prime Minister’s commitment to austerity, contrasting with the practices of past governments.

Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that during his stay in New York, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will participate in high-level UN meetings, attend discussions hosted by Bangladesh, and hold separate bilateral talks with top leaders from various nations.

The high-level UN meetings will cover topics such as development, pandemic prevention, rising sea levels, and nuclear disarmament. Additionally, Bangladesh is organizing several discussions—including one on the Rohingya crisis—on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly session in New York.

Diplomatic sources in New York report that preparations are underway for bilateral meetings between Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and world leaders during the UN session. The list of potential leaders for these meetings includes Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Kuwait’s Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney, Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, Bhutan’s Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, Croatia’s Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, and Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud. In addition, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh will hold meetings with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, President of the European Council António Costa, World Bank President Ajay Banga, and Boeing Global President Brendan Nelson. During the visit, the Prime Minister will attend a dinner hosted by US President Donald Trump.

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