PM arrives in Türkiye en route to New York
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has reached Istanbul en route to New York to attend the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
A Turkish Airlines flight carrying Tarique, his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman and members of his entourage landed at Istanbul Airport at around 11am local time on Monday, confirmed Prime Minister’s Press Secretary AAM Saleh Shibly.
After a brief transit, the flight is scheduled to leave Istanbul at 2:10pm local time for New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport, where Tarique is expected to arrive around 5:55pm local time.
He left Dhaka around 6:07am on Monday to attend the UNGA, where he is scheduled to deliver his maiden address as prime minister on September 24.
Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Minister Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, BNP acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni, Prime Minister’s Defence Adviser Brigadier General (retd) AKM Shamsul Islam and senior government officials saw him off at the VIP lounge of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
At JFK, Tarique will be received by Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Irene Zubaida Khan and Bangladesh Ambassador to the United States Tareq Md Ariful Islam before travelling by motorcade to the Hyatt Grand Central New York.
Tarique is leading a 38-member delegation to the UNGA, including Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md Asaduzzaman and several state ministers and advisers.
The high-level General Debate of the 81st UN General Assembly will begin on September 22, with Tarique scheduled to address the assembly on September 24.
His speech will be his first at the UN General Assembly since becoming prime minister. He will also become the third member of his family to address the world body, following Ziaur Rahman and Khaleda Zia.
During his New York visit, Tarique is scheduled to attend a welcome breakfast hosted by UN Secretary-General António Guterres for heads of state and government on September 22.
He is also scheduled to attend high-level meetings on climate action, global inequality and sea-level rise, as well as a side event on the Rohingya crisis. Bangladesh is expected to seek stronger international support for the early repatriation of Rohingyas to Myanmar.
Tarique is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with the Crown Prince of Kuwait and the prime ministers of Croatia, Bhutan, Thailand, Pakistan and Haiti. He is also expected to meet Guterres, the president of the European Council, the president of the World Bank Group and senior UN officials.
Economic diplomacy will also feature in the visit, with meetings planned with senior representatives of Meta, Wall Street and other business organisations.
Tarique is scheduled to leave New York for Dhaka on the night of September 25.