PM Tarique Rahman to deliver UNGA speech in Bangla

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will deliver his address in Bangla at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam said Sunday (September 20).

Speaking to reporters at the Foreign Ministry, Siam said the prime minister’s address will cover Bangladesh’s democratic transition, rule of law and accountability, global peace and security, climate change, sustainable development and economic cooperation.

He is also expected to highlight youth and women’s empowerment, education and healthcare, the Rohingya crisis, equitable access to modern technology and reform of the multilateral system.

The UN General Debate is scheduled for September 22–28 at the UN headquarters in New York.

Tarique will leave Dhaka for New York on Monday. During the visit, he is scheduled to hold bilateral and multilateral meetings with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, European Council President António Costa, World Bank Group President Ajay Banga and other international leaders, according to the briefing.

The address will be his first at the UN General Assembly since the new government took office following the February 12 election.

Bangladesh’s tradition of delivering UNGA speeches in Bangla dates back to September 1974, when Sheikh Mujibur Rahman addressed the General Assembly in Bangla. The practice was later revived by former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

The 81st session is being held under the theme “Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations That Delivers for All.”