Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is passing a busy time in New York, attending a series of bilateral and multilateral meetings and diplomatic engagements on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Since arriving in New York on 21 September, the Prime Minister has participated in high-level meetings with world leaders, heads of international organisations and development partners, focusing on Bangladesh’s interests and global and regional issues.
On Tuesday, he held bilateral and sideline meetings with Bhutanese Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay, Maldives Vice-President Uz Hussain Mohamed Latheef, World Bank Group President Ajay Banga and Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé. He also met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the Turkish House in New York.
The discussions covered bilateral relations, economic cooperation, trade and investment, development, regional and international issues and opportunities to expand cooperation.
The Prime Minister also met European Council President António Costa, UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Myanmar Julie Bishop, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk and Meta Platforms’ Chief Global Affairs Officer Joel Kaplan.
Rohingya crisis
During his meeting with UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman stressed that there is no alternative to the safe, voluntary and dignified repatriation of Rohingyas to Myanmar for a lasting solution to the protracted crisis.
He said Bangladesh had been sheltering a large number of Rohingyas on humanitarian grounds and called for stronger and coordinated international efforts to create conditions conducive to their repatriation with full rights and dignity.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees appreciated Bangladesh’s humanitarian role and stressed the importance of continued international cooperation for a sustainable solution.
US President’s dinner
On Tuesday evening, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman attended a dinner hosted by US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump in honour of world leaders attending the UNGA. The dinner was held at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel.
Earlier, the Prime Minister and his wife attended a breakfast hosted by UN Secretary-General António Guterres for heads of state and government and their spouses.
Prime Minister’s Adviser Mahdi Amin told a press conference at Bangladesh’s Permanent Mission to the UN that the Prime Minister had participated in 10 important programmes on the first day of his visit, giving priority to the interests of the people and Bangladesh’s dignity on the global stage.
He said the engagements covered bilateral and multilateral diplomacy, regional issues, the Rohingya crisis and discussions with development partners.
Wednesday’s programme
On Wednesday, 23 September, the Prime Minister’s programme focuses on humanitarian issues, climate action and international cooperation.
He is scheduled to attend a breakfast meeting with representatives of international philanthropic and humanitarian organisations, including the Gates Foundation, Visa Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, International Rescue Committee and Rotary International.
He will also attend a high-level side event titled “The Rohingya Crisis: A Renewed Call for a Durable Solution from Protracted Displacement, with Justice and Accountability” and speak at the high-level meeting on “Climate Action and the Just Transition”. He is also scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković.
Bangla address at UNGA
The main highlight of the Prime Minister’s New York visit will be his address to the UN General Assembly on Thursday, 24 September. According to the schedule, he is expected to speak at around 5:30pm New York time as the 11th of 18 speakers in the afternoon session, with 15 minutes allocated for his address. He will deliver the speech in Bangla.
Earlier that day, he is scheduled to make the opening remarks at a high-level meeting on the existential crisis caused by rising sea levels. He will also hold bilateral meetings with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
Following his UNGA address, he will attend a dinner hosted in his honour by Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the UN.
Final-day engagements
Before leaving New York on 25 September, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is scheduled to attend a breakfast meeting hosted by JPMorgan at its Manhattan headquarters with representatives of Wall Street.
He is also scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Kuwait’s Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to leave New York for Dhaka via Dubai at 11:00pm local time on 25 September on Emirates flight EK202.