New York, Sep 22 (V7N)- Prime Minister Tarique Rahman arrived in New York on Monday evening to attend the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), where he is scheduled to deliver his first address as prime minister on September 24.
A Turkish Airlines flight carrying Tarique Rahman, his wife Dr. Zubaida Rahman and members of his entourage landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport at 6:20pm New York time after a stopover in Istanbul. He was received by Bangladesh's Permanent Representative to the UN Irene Zubaida Khan and Ambassador to the United States Tareq Md Ariful Islam.
BNP leaders, activists and members of the Bangladeshi expatriate community gathered at the airport and along the route to welcome the prime minister. Supporters carried banners, posters and festoons as his motorcade proceeded to the Hyatt Grand Central New York, where he will stay during the visit.
Tarique Rahman is leading a 38-member delegation to the UNGA, with his wife accompanying him. His visit will include a series of high-level meetings, bilateral discussions and UN events focused on Bangladesh's diplomatic, economic and development priorities.
September 22
The prime minister's official engagements will begin with a welcome breakfast hosted by UN Secretary-General António Guterres for heads of state and government and their spouses.
He will then attend the opening session of the 81st UNGA and hold bilateral and courtesy meetings with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, World Bank Group President Ajay Banga and Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé.
He is also scheduled to meet UN Special Envoy on Myanmar Julie Bishop, European Council President António Costa, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk and Meta's Global Affairs chief Joel Kaplan. In the evening, he and his wife are scheduled to attend a reception hosted by US President Donald Trump.
September 23
On September 23, Tarique Rahman will attend a breakfast meeting with representatives of international charitable and humanitarian organisations at the Bangladesh Permanent Mission to the UN.
He will also participate in a high-level side event on the Rohingya crisis and a UN discussion on climate action and a just transition. A bilateral meeting with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković is also scheduled.
Boeing Global President Dr Brendan Nelson is scheduled to call on the prime minister at his hotel, where a signing ceremony involving Bangladesh government representatives will also take place.
September 24
On September 24, Tarique Rahman will attend a high-level meeting on the threats posed by rising sea levels and deliver the opening remarks.
He is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and deliver opening remarks at a high-level event on integrating midwifery into primary healthcare to prevent maternal and newborn deaths.
The prime minister will also meet UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul before joining the UNGA general debate.
He is scheduled to address the General Assembly at around 5:30pm New York time, although the timing may change. He has been allotted 15 minutes for the speech. He will speak in Bangla and is expected to highlight Bangladesh's democratic transformation, rule of law, global peace and security, climate change, sustainable development, economic cooperation, the Rohingya crisis, youth and women's empowerment, and reform of the multilateral system.
September 25
On the final day of the visit, Tarique Rahman will attend a breakfast meeting with Wall Street representatives hosted by JPMorgan at its Manhattan headquarters.
He is also scheduled to meet Kuwait's Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and have lunch with Prince Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, President of the International Peace Institute.
The prime minister will later meet BNP leaders based in the United States before leaving New York for Dhaka at 11:00pm on Emirates flight EK202 via Dubai. He is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on September 27.
END/SMA/AJ
