Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is going to New York to attend the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
The Prime Minister left for New York on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 10:12 AM on Sunday (September 17).
After a short layover at London’s Heathrow International Airport, he will fly to New York on a British Airways flight.
He will arrive at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport around 11 pm local time.
After the formalities at the airport, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will visit Lotte New York Palace, her residence during her visit.
On Thursday (September 14), Foreign Minister Dr. AK Abdul Momen said that the Prime Minister can attend the session of the General Assembly and speak on behalf of Bangladesh in the general debate on September 22.
In his speech, he will highlight Bangladesh’s incredible development progress, inclusive economic development and success in the health sector. In addition, issues related to world peace, security, safe immigration, forcibly displaced Myanmar citizens crisis, establishment of climate justice will come up in the Prime Minister’s speech.
Apart from this, like every year, several high-level meetings are likely to be held during the general debate phase, in which the Prime Minister can also participate, the foreign minister said.
Dr. Momen said that the Prime Minister is expected to participate in high-level meetings on climate change, such as at the invitation of the UN Secretary General. These meetings are particularly important for Bangladesh as a country facing climate change risks. In these meetings, the Prime Minister will highlight the various activities undertaken by the Bangladesh government to face the challenges of climate change and call for joint global initiatives to mitigate the risks of climate change.
The Foreign Minister said that US President Joe Biden has invited the Prime Minister to the reception organized on the evening of September 19. The Prime Minister can attend the event. Besides, the Prime Minister can participate in bilateral meetings with the heads of state or government of several countries. Through this, it is expected that the bilateral relations of those countries will be strengthened with Bangladesh (Prime Ministers of Malaysia, Thailand and Denmark and President of Sri Lanka).
Heads of the United Nations and other international or regional cooperation organizations may pay courtesy calls on the Prime Minister during the visit. Notable among them are the UN Secretary-General, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the UN Secretary-General’s Genocide Adviser, the newly elected Director-General of the International Organization for Migration, the Director-General of the World Health Organization.
After the New York visit, the Prime Minister will go to Washington on September 23. After the visit to Washington, the Prime Minister will go to London, UK on September 29.
The Prime Minister will return to Dhaka at around 12:30 pm on Wednesday (October 4) after his visit to London.
