PM returns home from New York

"An Emirates flight carrying the Prime Minister, his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman and members of his entourage landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 8:21 am," PM's Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Shiplu told BSS.

Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Minister Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni, Prime Minister's Defence Adviser Brigadier General (retd) AKM Shamsul Islam, Whip Miah Nuruddin Ahmad Apu, local MP SM Jahangir Hossain, Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Ghani and Prime Minister's Principal Secretary ABM Abdus Sattar received the Prime Minister at the airport.

The Prime Minister left Dhaka on September 21 and reached New York the same day after a stopover in Istanbul. He left New York on September 25 and reached Dubai before continuing his journey for home.

During his four working days in New York, Tarique Rahman took part in 30 engagements -- 11 bilateral meetings with countries around the world, eight UNGA-related engagements and 11 institutional engagements while he and members of his entourage together represented Bangladesh at around 80 engagements.

During the visit, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman delivered seven speeches that will stand as historic milestones, making it a remarkable United Nations General Assembly for Bangladesh as he carried the nation's voice with pride, confidence and dignity.

A major part of his diplomatic programme was a series of meetings with the heads of state and government of seven countries - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime, Bhutanese Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.

The meetings focused on strengthening bilateral relations, expanding trade and investment, increasing economic and business cooperation and exchanging views on regional and international issues.

In his meeting with Erdogan, Tarique Rahman discussed expanding Bangladesh-Turkiye trade and investment and diversifying economic cooperation.

With Shehbaz Sharif, he discussed bilateral relations, regional and international issues and potential areas of cooperation, while his meeting with Plenkovic focused on trade and investment, economic partnership, skilled manpower, education and technology and cooperation at multilateral forums.

The Prime Minister also discussed bilateral relations and avenues for greater cooperation with Pezeshkian, Fils-Aime, Tobgay and Charnvirakul.

He separately met Maldives Vice-President Uz Hussain Mohamed Latheef, Kuwait's Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah Al Saud and Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard.

The meetings with the Middle Eastern leaders and ministers covered protecting the interests of Bangladeshi workers, increasing manpower exports, energy security, mineral-sector cooperation and investment in Bangladesh.

The centrepiece of the visit was Tarique Rahman's maiden address to the UNGA General Debate on September 24, where he reaffirmed Bangladesh's support for global peace and humanity and called for conflicts to be resolved through dialogue, diplomacy and mutual cooperation.

He outlined the government's 3-R strategy of Recovery, Restoration and Reconstruction and pledged to build a prosperous, self-reliant and welfare-oriented democratic Bangladesh through political and economic empowerment of the people and equal opportunities for all. 

He also spoke of creating employment, developing skilled human resources and transforming Bangladesh into a manufacturing hub.

The Rohingya crisis featured prominently in his UNGA address and other engagements. The Prime Minister said safe and dignified repatriation to Myanmar is the only solution to the prolonged crisis and called for stronger international support to create conditions conducive to their voluntary return.

He discussed the issue with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy on Myanmar Julie Bishop and UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih. 

At a Bangladesh-hosted high-level Rohingya event, he called for five urgent measures to address the crisis, including stronger international efforts for safe, voluntary and dignified repatriation.

In his meeting with Guterres, the UN chief expressed gratitude for Bangladesh's role in sheltering the Rohingyas and contributing troops to UN peacekeeping operations, while praising Bangladesh's role in climate resilience and multilateral affairs.

At high-level meetings on sea-level rise and climate action and just transition, the Prime Minister called for faster and deeper global emission cuts, predictable and accessible adaptation finance, wider access to climate-smart technologies and stronger international cooperation to address climate-induced displacement and damage.

At a Bangladesh-Sweden-UNFPA high-level event on midwifery, the Prime Minister outlined his vision of a "Healthy Bangladesh", placing primary healthcare at the centre of health reform. He said the government plans to recruit 100,000 additional health workers, including 80,000 women, and 25,000 professional midwives, while developing an integrated digital health system.

The visit also featured extensive economic diplomacy. At a breakfast meeting with Wall Street representatives hosted by JPMorgan Chase, the Prime Minister discussed Bangladesh's economic prospects, investment opportunities and potential partnerships.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines also signed an agreement with Boeing to purchase 11 aircraft as Bangladesh plans to expand its aviation sector and open new international routes.

Tarique Rahman also met World Bank Group President Ajay Banga, Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman, International Peace Institute President and CEO Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, among others.

His meeting with Banga focused on Bangladesh's development priorities, economic progress and strengthening World Bank cooperation, while discussions with Suzman covered public health, child healthcare, vaccination, affordable vaccines, preventive healthcare and health-system modernisation.

On September 22, the Prime Minister and his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman joined a welcome breakfast hosted by Guterres for world leaders and their spouses before attending the opening of the UNGA General Debate. They also attended a reception hosted by US President Donald Trump for leaders participating in the General Assembly.

Dr Zubaida Rahman also participated in eight high-level engagements and delivered remarks at four of them, including the UN General Assembly's Platform of Women Leaders, the First Spouses' Dialogue and a high-level event on maternal and child health and midwifery, reports BSS.