Special Correspondent, Dhaka:
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s four-day visit to New York for the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly combined multilateral diplomacy with a broad push on Bangladesh’s economic and strategic interests, according to Prime Minister’s Adviser and PMO spokesperson Mahdi Amin.
Briefing reporters at Bangladesh’s Permanent Mission to the UN, Mahdi said the prime minister held 30 official engagements, including bilateral meetings with representatives of 11 countries. The program also included eight UNGA-related engagements, four high-level side events, and meetings with international organizations, investors, and prominent personalities.
The range of discussions suggests an effort to link Bangladesh’s participation in global diplomacy with immediate economic and development priorities. Trade and investment, manpower exports, energy security, climate change, regional cooperation, the Rohingya crisis, and international peace featured prominently across the engagements.
On the economic front, Tarique met top Wall Street investors at a breakfast hosted by JPMorgan Chase, where investment opportunities in Bangladesh were discussed. His meetings with the World Bank, the Gates Foundation, and other development partners also provided opportunities to highlight Bangladesh’s development priorities and financing needs.
The prime minister’s meetings with Kuwait’s Crown Prince, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, and the UAE’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister placed particular emphasis on Bangladesh’s longstanding economic links with the Gulf. According to Mahdi, discussions covered the interests of Bangladeshi workers, manpower exports, energy security, mineral-sector cooperation, and investment. All three countries invited the prime minister to visit.
The Rohingya crisis remained another major diplomatic priority. Bangladesh organized a high-level event on the issue, while Tarique also met UN officials, including Secretary-General António Guterres, Myanmar envoy Julie Bishop, and UNHCR chief Barham Salih.
Climate change and global health were also incorporated into the visit, with Bangladesh hosting events on maternal, newborn health, and midwifery and addressing discussions on climate change, just transition, and sea-level rise.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister’s wife, Dr. Zubaida Rahman, participated in eight high-level engagements, including the Platform of Women Leaders and First Spouses’ Dialogue.
Mahdi described the visit as the prime minister’s first major appearance at the UN as head of an elected government. The breadth of engagements indicates an effort to project Bangladesh’s priorities across diplomacy, investment, labor mobility, development, and global governance.
