Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s five-day visit to New York for the 81st UN General Assembly brought Bangladesh’s national interests and priorities into focus through a wide range of bilateral and multilateral engagements, Prime Minister’s Office spokesperson Mahdi Amin said.
“During the four working days, the Prime Minister firmly presented Bangladesh’s interests and potential before the international community and upheld the country’s sovereignty and independence,” he told journalists at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport after the Prime Minister returned home.
During his four working days in New York, Tarique Rahman took part in 30 engagements, including 11 bilateral meetings with different countries, eight UNGA-related programmes and 11 institutional engagements. The Prime Minister and members of his entourage together attended around 80 engagements.
Mahdi said the meetings and programmes covered issues of direct importance to Bangladesh, including trade and investment, manpower exports, energy security, regional cooperation, the Rohingya crisis, health, climate change and international peace.
“Through this highly fruitful and successful visit to the United Nations, the Prime Minister has taken Bangladesh to a higher place in the world community,” he said.
He said the Prime Minister’s maiden address to the UN General Assembly was a key part of the visit, where he outlined policies, programmes and plans concerning education, health, agriculture, employment, technology, artificial intelligence, youth and women.
“We believe that, inshaAllah, these will be implemented step by step,” Mahdi said.
In his UNGA address, Tarique Rahman also outlined Bangladesh’s positions on global peace, Palestine, the Rohingya crisis, climate change and sustainable development, while presenting the government’s vision of a prosperous, self-reliant and welfare-oriented democratic Bangladesh.
Beyond the General Debate, the Prime Minister addressed or participated in high-level events on the Rohingya crisis, climate action and just transition, sea-level rise, and maternal and newborn health and midwifery.
Mahdi said Tarique Rahman also raised issues of global peace and Palestine during the visit.
“He did not speak only about Bangladesh. He spoke about world peace. He spoke about how we want to see peace in Palestine,” he said.
He said Bangladesh also demonstrated its position on Palestine by walking out during the speech of the Israeli prime minister at the UN General Assembly.
Mahdi said Bangladesh received assurances of support from several countries and international organisations on issues of national interest. He added that various organisations and institutions appreciated Bangladesh’s humanitarian role in hosting the Rohingyas.
He also said the visit was significant as Tarique Rahman represented Bangladesh internationally as the head of a government elected by the people.
“We saw how the heads of government and state of different countries warmly received the Prime Minister,” he said.
Mahdi said the government would now work to translate the policies, programmes and plans presented during the visit into action.
Prime Minister’s Press Secretary AAM Saleh Shibly said the visit also reflected a change in the country’s political culture.
He said the Prime Minister did not support or encourage the previous practice of large numbers of party leaders, activists and ordinary people gathering at the airport to see off or welcome the Prime Minister.
“This is a qualitative change in our traditional political culture,” Shibly said.
He also highlighted the relatively small size of the Prime Minister’s delegation, saying only 35 people accompanied him during the visit.
Shibly said Tarique Rahman travelled to the United States on a Turkish Airlines commercial flight and returned home on an Emirates flight instead of using a dedicated Bangladesh aircraft with a large entourage.
The Prime Minister returned home after completing the five-day visit, including four working days in New York.
