PM heads to New York after transit stop in Istanbul

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has left for New York after a transit stop in Istanbul, Turkey, to attend the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

Prime Minister's Assistant Press Secretary K M Nazmul Haque told BSS, "The Prime Minister, along with his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman and other entourage members, left Istanbul Airport on a Turkish Airlines flight at 2:10pm local time."

Earlier, after a flight of about eight hours and 45 minutes from Dhaka, the aircraft landed at Istanbul Airport at 10:55am local time. The Prime Minister had a transit stop of two hours and 35 minutes in Istanbul.

The aircraft will land at John F Kennedy (JFK) International Airport at 5:55pm New York time.

Bangladesh's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ayrin Khan, and Bangladesh's Ambassador to the United States, Tarek Md Ariful Islam, will welcome the Prime Minister at the airport.

The Prime Minister will be taken from the airport to the 'Hyatt Grand Central New York' hotel in a motorcade. He will stay there during the visit.

Earlier, at a press conference in Dhaka yesterday, Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam said that after reaching New York, the Prime Minister will begin his official programmes from September 22. In the morning, he will attend a welcome breakfast hosted by the UN Secretary-General for heads of state and government.

He will then participate in the opening ceremony of this year's session along with other world leaders. In the evening, he will attend a reception hosted by the US President in honour of heads of state and government and their spouses.

On September 23, the Prime Minister will exchange views at a breakfast meeting with representatives of various international charitable and humanitarian organisations. He will then speak at a meeting on tackling the global inequality crisis, organised by Brazil, South Africa, Norway and Spain. In the afternoon, he will attend a high-level meeting titled 'Climate Action and the Just Transition', organised on the initiative of the UN Secretary-General.

On September 24, at the invitation of the President of this year's session and Bangladesh's Foreign Minister, he will deliver the opening speech at a high-level meeting on tackling the existential threat caused by sea-level rise. At this meeting, he will highlight Bangladesh's strong position in favour of climate finance, adaptation, technology transfer, loss and damage, and climate justice on behalf of Bangladesh as a climate-vulnerable country.

The Prime Minister is expected to address the general debate of the UN General Assembly on the same day in the afternoon.