Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will leave Dhaka for New York on Monday (September 21) to attend the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, where he is scheduled to begin his official engagements from September 22.
The prime minister is expected to present the new government’s political commitments and Bangladesh’s vision for the future on the UN platform.
Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam disclosed the details at a media briefing in Dhaka on Sunday (September 20). He said the prime minister had allocated only as much time as necessary for an effective diplomatic programme. The visit has been kept relatively short, with Tarique scheduled to address the UN General Assembly on September 24.
In his address, the prime minister will speak in Bangla, focusing on Bangladesh’s democratic journey, the rule of law, climate change, the Rohingya crisis and reform of the multilateral system. He will also speak at separate side events on the Rohingya crisis and climate change.
Tarique Rahman is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with the prime ministers of Kuwait, Croatia, Pakistan and Bhutan.
According to the foreign secretary, the delegation accompanying the prime minister has also been kept small, with 35 members.
Among those accompanying him will be Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman, and Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat.
The delegation will also include Saiful Haque, general secretary of the Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh, and Golam Mohiuddin, secretary general of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh.
Asad Alam Siam reiterated that the prime minister had fixed the duration of the visit based on the time required to complete an effective diplomatic programme.
