File PhotoForeign Secretary Asad Alam Siam said on Sunday that prime minister Tarique Rahman will leave for New York on September 21 to attend the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, leading a 35-member delegation that includes four ministers.
Responding to a question about the size of the delegation, he said, ‘The delegation size is 35.’
Foreign ministry sources said the total number of people travelling would be around 60, including security personnel and support staff.
‘The foreign minister will join the PM from New York. Apart from that, the finance minister, the minister for law, justice and parliamentary affairs, and the minister for civil aviation and tourism will accompany him,’ he said at a press briefing on the prime minister’s official visit to the 81st UNGA.
‘The PM will also be accompanied by two political leaders, Saiful Haque, general secretary of the Bangladesh Biplobi Workers Party, and Ghulam Mohiuddin, secretary general of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh,’ he added.
The prime minister will address the UNGA in Bangla, the foreign secretary said. He is expected to address the General Debate of the UNGA on the afternoon of September 24.
‘In his speech, he will outline Bangladesh’s new democratic journey, the rule of law and accountability, global peace and security, climate change, sustainable development, economic cooperation, the empowerment of youth and women, education and healthcare, the Rohingya crisis, the equitable use of modern technology, and reforms to the multilateral system,’ he said.
Following his engagements in New York, the prime minister will depart for Bangladesh on the night of September 25.
Responding to a question about the prime minister’s proposed visit to San Francisco, the foreign secretary said UN-related activities would be given priority during this visit. A separate ministerial-level delegation will visit San Francisco, he added.
Responding to a question about whether the visit had been shortened, Asad Alam Siam said the prime minister would remain in New York for as long as necessary to make the visit effective.
Asked whether the prime minister would hold a bilateral meeting with the US president on the sidelines of the UNGA, he said schedules often evolve during a head of government’s participation in a multilateral forum.
Responding to a question about the Rohingya crisis, he said it remained an ongoing crisis.
‘As we are attending the summit, as we do every year, we are going to highlight the gravity of the Rohingya crisis, its challenges, and the cooperation that Bangladesh needs from the global community,’ he said.
The foreign secretary said that the prime minister would hold bilateral meetings with top-level leaders from several countries, including the crown prince of Kuwait and the prime ministers of Croatia, Bhutan, Thailand, Pakistan and Haiti.
‘In addition, he is scheduled to meet with the UN secretary-general, the president of the European Council, the president of the World Bank Group, the UN secretary-general’s special envoy for Myanmar, the UN high commissioner for refugees, the UN high commissioner for human rights, and the president of the International Peace Institute,’ he added.
Asad Alam Siam said that, as part of the prime minister’s economic diplomacy efforts, he would also meet senior representatives of Wall Street, Meta and several other business organisations.
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