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The chief advisor will hold a bilateral meeting with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif
Published : 21 Sep 2024, 09:01 PM
Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus will not meet India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New York, but a bilateral meeting will take place with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign Advisor Touhid Hossain says.
The heads of government of the three countries with a shared history will be attending the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly starting on Sept 24 in the United States.
“We have come to know that the Indian prime minister will leave New York before the chief advisor arrives. Therefore, it seems unlikely that they will meet,” the foreign advisor told reporters at a press briefing in Dhaka on Saturday.
However, Yunus will hold bilateral meetings with the Pakistan premier, the prime ministers of the Netherlands and Nepal, the president of the European Commission, the US secretary of state, the UN secretary-general, the UN high commissioner for human rights, the president of the World Bank Group, and the USAID administrator, according to him.
“Decisions regarding meetings in such sessions are often made at the last moment,” Touhid continued, “therefore, new meetings could be added to the schedule, or some could be dropped due to time constraints.”
Yunus will arrive in New York on a commercial flight on Sept 23 and deliver a speech on Sept 27 before leaving for Dhaka the same day.
Advisor Touhid said unlike recent years, this time a delegation of over 100 members from Bangladesh will not be traveling to New York on a chartered flight. Instead, a more limited delegation has been formed, with members selected based on their specific roles and responsibilities.
For this session, the chief advisor’s delegation, including security and press personnel, consists of 57 members.
In contrast, during the post-COVID-19 austerity measures, the 78th session saw 146 members from Bangladesh, while the 77th session, held during COVID-19 restrictions, had 138 members. Prior to COVID, the 74th session had 335 participants, and the 73rd session had 344 participants – all headed by deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
In his speech, according to Touhid, Chief Advisor Yunus will highlight on the global stage the extraordinary mass uprising that took place in Bangladesh over the past two months and reaffirm his commitment to building a state system that is people-centred, welfare-oriented, and dedicated to public interest.
His speech may cover Bangladesh's strong position in peacekeeping to ensure international peace and security, the impacts of climate change, climate justice, global conflicts, the Rohingya crisis, challenges faced by developing countries in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals-SDGs, prevention of resource outflow from developing nations, ensuring safe migration, guaranteeing basic services for migrants, and issues related to Palestine.
In Touhid’s words, this year’s session holds special significance for Bangladesh because it marks the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh's membership in the United Nations.
On this occasion, Bangladesh will host a high-level reception at the UN Headquarters on Sept 24, with the chief advisor in attendance.
The event is expected to be attended by heads of various delegations from different countries, top UN officials, some heads of state or government, and leaders of different agencies.
The foreign advisor also said a high-level side event focusing on the Rohingya crisis is being organised.
The interim government has initiated reforms aimed at building a new Bangladesh. In this context, this session represents a new step for the new Bangladesh on the global stage.
The session offers a significant opportunity for Bangladesh to present this vision of an egalitarian and justice-based society to the world, Touhid added.
