Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is expected to hold meetings with several world leaders on the sidelines of the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Turkey, where he will also address the World Leaders Summit on November 12.

Foreign Secretary Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury disclosed the information at a press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday.

The climate conference is slated to take place on November 9-20 at the Antalya Expo Center with the World Leaders' Summit on November 11-12.

During the briefing, a journalist questioned the rationale for having two state ministers for foreign affairs accompany the prime minister on the trip.

In response, the foreign secretary said there was a need for it and that the prime minister had made the decision.

He said the prime minister would leave Dhaka for Turkey on Tuesday aboard a Turkish Airlines flight.

At the climate conference, Tarique will attend the summit and deliver an address to world leaders on November 12.

The prime minister will highlight the struggles of people in Bangladesh and across South Asia in coping with the impacts of climate change, the foreign secretary said.

On the sidelines of the conference, Tarique Rahman is likely to hold meetings with the Turkish president, the prime ministers of Australia and Uzbekistan, China's vice-president and the British foreign secretary.

Asked about a Reuters report on a new passport and National Identity Card (NID) application by Bangladesh's fugitive former prime minister, the foreign secretary declined to discuss the matter at the press conference.