Bangladesh PM Rahman to highlight Rohingya, climate issues in maiden UNGA address

Dhaka: Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is set to deliver his maiden UN General Assembly address in Bangla on September 24, highlighting the Rohingya crisis, climate change and his government's democratic agenda, according to a media report.

Rahman will leave Dhaka for New York on September 21 and is scheduled to return on September 25, the state-owned BSS news agency reported on Sunday.

His visit will mark his first participation in the UN General Assembly as prime minister and the first UNGA appearance of the incumbent Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government, which came to power in February.


On the sidelines of the UNGA, Rahman is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with the Crown Prince of Kuwait and the prime ministers of Croatia, Bhutan, Thailand, Pakistan and Haiti, according to BSS.

The talks are expected to cover political and economic relations, trade and investment, development cooperation, the Rohingya crisis and other issues of mutual interest, the report said.

At the UNGA, Rahman will also outline Bangladesh's positions on global peace and security, sustainable development, economic cooperation and reform of the multilateral system, Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam said at a press conference on Sunday.

Rahman will seek stronger international support for the repatriation of Rohingyas to Myanmar at a Bangladesh-hosted side event on September 23, as Dhaka pushes to keep the protracted crisis on the global agenda, Siam said.

The crisis began in 2017 with the mass displacement of Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar's Rakhine State amid military crackdowns and violence.

Bangladesh faces growing pressure on its resources and infrastructure as it hosts more than a million Rohingya refugees, while efforts to ensure their safe and sustainable return to Myanmar remain stalled.

Climate change will also feature prominently during Rahman's upcoming visit, with the prime minister scheduled to attend a high-level meeting on climate action on September 23 and address a session on sea-level rise the following day, BSS reported.

At the climate meetings, Rahman is expected to highlight the concerns of climate-vulnerable countries, particularly on climate finance, adaptation, technology transfer, loss and damage and climate justice.

South Asia is among the world's most climate-vulnerable regions, with nearly 90 per cent of its population projected to face extreme heat and nearly a quarter severe flooding by 2030, according to a World Bank report.

Bangladesh is particularly exposed, with rising water and soil salinity in coastal areas affecting millions of people, the report said.

Bangladesh's UN engagements would also focus on empowering youth and women, education and health, equitable access to modern technology and creating a more effective and inclusive multilateral system, BSS quoted Siam as saying.

On September 23, Rahman will also attend a high-level meeting on tackling the global inequality crisis and a Bangladesh-hosted side event on maternal and newborn health and midwifery.

Rahman is also scheduled to meet UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the president of the European Council, the president of the World Bank Group, the UN special envoy on Myanmar and the UN high commissioners for refugees and human rights.

As part of the government's economic diplomacy, Rahman will hold meetings with senior representatives of Meta, Wall Street and other business organisations, BSS reported.

The discussions will focus on Bangladesh's investment environment and opportunities in manufacturing, infrastructure and technology, as well as human-resource development, skills and employment for young people.