Prime Minister Departs for New York After Stopover in Istanbul

Photo: Collected

News Desk: Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has departed for New York, United States, after a stopover in Istanbul, Türkiye, to attend the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

On Monday (September 21), Assistant Press Secretary to the Prime Minister K. M. Nazmul Haque said that the Prime Minister, accompanied by his wife Dr. Zubaida Rahman and other members of the delegation, left Istanbul Airport at 2:10 p.m. local time on a Turkish Airlines flight.

Earlier, the Prime Minister’s flight landed at Istanbul Airport at 10:55 a.m. local time, after an approximately 8-hour and 45-minute flight from Dhaka.

The aircraft carrying the Prime Minister is scheduled to land at John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport in New York at 5:55 p.m. New York time. He will be received there by Irene Khan, Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, and Tarique Md. Ariful Islam, Bangladesh’s Ambassador to the United States.

From the airport, the Prime Minister will be taken in a motorcade to the Hyatt Grand Central New York Hotel, where he will stay throughout his visit.

Official Schedule Begins on September 22

At a press briefing in Dhaka on Sunday (September 21), Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam said that the Prime Minister’s official engagements in New York will begin on September 22.

In the morning, he will attend the Welcome Breakfast hosted by the UN Secretary-General in honor of heads of state and government. He will then participate in the opening ceremony of the 81st UN General Assembly alongside other world leaders.

In the evening, he will attend a reception hosted by the President of the United States for heads of state and government and their spouses.

Climate Change and Global Inequality on the Agenda

On September 23, the Prime Minister will hold a breakfast meeting with representatives of several international charitable and humanitarian organizations.

Later, he will address a meeting on tackling the global inequality crisis, jointly organized by Brazil, South Africa, Norway, and Spain.

In the afternoon, he will participate in the UN Secretary-General’s high-level meeting titled “Climate Action and the Just Transition.”

On September 24, at the invitation of the President of the UN General Assembly and Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister, the Prime Minister will deliver the opening remarks at a high-level meeting on the existential threats posed by rising sea levels.

At the meeting, he will present Bangladesh’s position as one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, emphasizing the need for climate finance, adaptation, technology transfer, loss and damage support, and climate justice.

Later that day, the Prime Minister is also expected to deliver Bangladesh’s address during the General Debate of the UN General Assembly.

Side Events on the Rohingya Crisis and Maternal & Newborn Health

The Prime Minister will also participate in two important side events hosted by Bangladesh.

On September 23, at a session on the Rohingya crisis, he will call on the international community to provide effective support for the early repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar.

On September 24, he will speak as the chief guest at another event focusing on maternal and newborn health and midwifery. During the event, he will highlight the new government’s initiatives and future plans to improve maternal and child healthcare, while emphasizing the importance of skilled and trained midwives in strengthening health services.

The Prime Minister is scheduled to depart JFK International Airport for Dhaka on an Emirates Airlines flight at 11:00 p.m. New York time on September 25.

This will be Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s first participation at the United Nations General Assembly, providing an opportunity to present the new government’s political commitments and its vision for Bangladesh to the international community.