Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has left New York for Dhaka after completing a five‑day visit marked by high‑level engagements, including his maiden speech at the 81st United Nations General Assembly where he outlined Bangladesh’s priorities and aspirations before the global community.
“An Emirates flight carrying the Prime Minister, his wife Zubaida Rahman and members of his delegation left John F Kennedy International Airport at 11:30pm (New York time) for Dhaka via Dubai,” Press Secretary Saleh Shibly told BSS.
The flight is due to reach Dubai at 8pm on 26 September and depart for Dhaka at 2am on 27 September, with arrival at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport scheduled for 8:40am.
During the visit, Tarique presented Bangladesh’s positions on peace and security, climate change, sustainable development, humanitarian issues, economic cooperation and the Rohingya crisis. In his UNGA address on 24 September, he reaffirmed support for UN initiatives promoting humanity and peace, urging dialogue and diplomacy to resolve conflicts.
He pledged to build a prosperous, self‑reliant democratic Bangladesh through political and economic empowerment, equal opportunity, and the government’s “3‑R” strategy of Recovery, Restoration and Reconstruction.
On the Rohingya issue, he said safe and dignified repatriation is the only solution and called for stronger international backing. He also discussed the crisis with UN envoy on Myanmar Julie Bishop and UN refugee chief Barham Salih.
The Prime Minister met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to expand trade and investment ties and held talks with Bhutanese Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay and Maldives Vice‑President Uz Hussain Mohamed Latheef on strengthening bilateral and regional cooperation.
He also met World Bank President Ajay Banga to review Bangladesh’s development priorities and Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils‑Aimé on bilateral and regional issues.
On 22 September, Tarique and his wife joined a welcome breakfast hosted by UN Secretary‑General Antonio Guterres before attending the UNGA opening session, later joining a reception hosted by the US President.
The following day, he met representatives of the Gates, Visa and Rockefeller Foundations, the International Rescue Committee and Rotary International, highlighting Bangladesh’s perspectives on humanitarian challenges, climate change and development. He also met Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman to discuss child health, vaccination and healthcare reform.
PM Tarique addressed the high‑level meeting on “Climate Action and the Just Transition,” calling for deeper emission cuts and predictable climate finance. He also met Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic on trade, manpower and technology cooperation.
The visit included economic diplomacy, with Biman Bangladesh Airlines signing an agreement with Boeing to purchase 11 aircraft to expand its fleet and routes.
On 24 September, the prime minister spoke at a high‑level meeting on sea‑level rise, urging stronger global action and climate finance. He also met Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, and at a Bangladesh‑Sweden‑UNFPA event on midwifery, outlined plans for a “Healthy Bangladesh,” including recruitment of 100,000 health workers and 25,000 midwives, alongside a digital health system.
He later met UN Secretary‑General Guterres, who praised Bangladesh’s role in sheltering Rohingyas, peacekeeping and climate resilience. He also held talks with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and attended a dinner hosted by Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the UN.
On the final day, he joined a breakfast with Wall Street investors hosted by JPMorgan and met Kuwait’s Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al‑Hamad Al‑Sabah before leaving New York.
