PM Tarique heads home after five-day UNGA visit

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman left New York for Dhaka last night (25 September) after a five-day visit to attend the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, during which he delivered his maiden address at the UNGA and held a series of bilateral and high-level meetings on Bangladesh's key national and global priorities.

An Emirates flight carrying the Prime Minister, his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman and members of his entourage left John F Kennedy International Airport at 11:35pm local time for Dubai, said Prime Minister's Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Shiplu.

The flight is scheduled to reach Dubai at 8pm today (26 September) and depart for Dhaka at 2am tomorrow (27 September), with the Prime Minister expected to arrive at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 8:40am the same day.

At JFK Airport, Tarique Rahman and Zubaida were seen off by Bangladesh's Permanent Representative to the UN Irene Khan, Bangladesh Ambassador to the United States Tariq Mohammad Ariful Islam, and senior officials of the UN mission and embassy.

A number of expatriate BNP leaders and activists also gathered outside the airport terminal to see the Prime Minister off.

Tarique Rahman arrived in New York on September 21 to attend the UNGA, leading a 35-member delegation that included Zubaida, Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat, State Ministers for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir and Shama Obaed Islam, and Irene Khan.

During the visit, the Prime Minister addressed the UN General Assembly General Debate for the first time, presenting Bangladesh's positions on global peace and security, climate change, sustainable development, humanitarian crises, economic cooperation and the Rohingya crisis.

In his 24 September address, Tarique Rahman reaffirmed Bangladesh's support for the UN's efforts to promote global peace and humanity and called for conflicts to be resolved through dialogue, diplomacy and mutual cooperation.

He also outlined the government's three-R strategy — Recovery, Restoration and Reconstruction — for rebuilding Bangladesh, and said the government wants to establish a prosperous, self-reliant and welfare-oriented democratic state through the political and economic empowerment of the people.

On the Rohingya crisis, he said safe and dignified repatriation to Myanmar is the only lasting solution and called for stronger international support to create conditions conducive to their return.

During the visit, he met UN Secretary-General António Guterres, World Bank Group President Ajay Banga, 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, International Peace Institute President and CEO Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, and Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman.

Tarique Rahman also held bilateral meetings with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime, Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Maldives Vice President Uz Hussain Mohamed Latheef.

He separately met Kuwait's Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah Al Saud, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergård.

The meetings covered bilateral relations, trade and investment, manpower, energy, economic cooperation, and regional and international issues.

At a meeting with Turkish President Erdogan, the two sides discussed expanding Bangladesh-Türkiye trade and investment and exploring new areas of economic cooperation.

Tarique Rahman also discussed strengthening bilateral ties and expanding cooperation with the prime ministers of Bhutan and Haiti and the vice president of the Maldives. His meeting with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic focused on trade and investment, economic partnership, skilled manpower, education, technology and cooperation in multilateral forums.

During the visit, Bangladesh also signed an agreement with Boeing for Biman Bangladesh Airlines to purchase 11 jets as part of efforts to expand the country's aviation sector and open new international routes.

The Prime Minister participated in high-level events on the Rohingya crisis, sea-level rise, climate action, and the integration of midwifery into primary healthcare to prevent maternal and newborn deaths.

At the high-level event on sea-level rise, he called for stronger global action to reduce emissions, predictable and accessible adaptation finance, wider use of climate-resilient technologies, and greater international cooperation.

At the climate action event, Tarique Rahman called for collective global action to rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ensure predictable climate finance for vulnerable countries.

The Prime Minister and Zubaida also attended a welcome breakfast hosted by UN Secretary-General António Guterres for world leaders and their spouses on 22 September, and a reception hosted by US President Donald Trump for heads of state and government attending the UNGA.

On 23 September, the Prime Minister attended a breakfast meeting with representatives of the Gates Foundation, Visa Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, International Rescue Committee and Rotary International, where humanitarian challenges, international cooperation, climate change, sustainable development and economic partnership were discussed.

He also met Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman to discuss public health, child healthcare, vaccination, affordable vaccines, preventive healthcare and the modernisation of the health system.

On the final day of his visit, Tarique Rahman attended a breakfast meeting hosted by JPMorgan Chase at its Manhattan headquarters with Wall Street representatives.

Telling investors that "Bangladesh is open for business", he highlighted opportunities in energy, infrastructure, logistics, technology, digital services, climate finance, manufacturing, agriculture and healthcare.

The Prime Minister said Bangladesh aims to build a $1 trillion economy by 2034 and become a globally connected manufacturing, investment and services hub.

He later held bilateral meetings with Kuwait's Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah Al Saud, and UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

PM's Adviser and PMO Spokesperson Mahdi Amin said earlier Friday that Tarique Rahman held 30 formal programmes, including 11 bilateral meetings with countries, during the visit.

He said Bangladesh's national interests, trade and investment, manpower export, energy security, regional cooperation, the Rohingya crisis, healthcare, climate change and global peace featured prominently in the meetings and programmes.

Mahdi said the Prime Minister attended eight programmes directly linked to the UN General Assembly and four high-level side events, while also meeting heads of international organisations and other dignitaries.

"Altogether, the Prime Minister and members of his delegation represented Bangladesh at around 80 different programmes during the four-day visit," he said.

The Prime Minister arrived in New York on 21 September to attend the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.