Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s five-day visit to New York at attend the 81st UNGA session brought Bangladesh’s national interests and priorities into sharp focus through a wide range of bilateral and multilateral engagements, Prime Minister’s spokesperson Mahdi Amin said today.

“Overall, during the four working days, we saw the Prime Minister has firmly presented Bangladesh’s interests and potentials before the world community as well as uphold the country’s sovereignty and independence,” he told journalists at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport after the Prime Minister return at home this morning.

During his four working days in New York, the Prime Minister took part in 30 engagements, including 11 bilateral meetings with different countries, eight UNGA-related engagements and 11 institutional engagements, while he and members of his entourage together attended around 80 engagements.

Mahdi said the engagements covered the issues of direct importance to Bangladesh, including trade and investment, manpower exports, energy security, regional cooperation, Rohingya crisis, health, climate change and international peace.

“Through this highly fruitful and successful visit to the United Nations, the Prime Minister has taken Bangladesh to a higher place in the world community,” he added.

Mahdi said the Prime Minister’s maiden address to the UN General Assembly was an important part of the visit when he spoke about policies, programmes and plans concerning people from different sections of society, covering education, health, agriculture, employment, technology and artificial intelligence, as well as young people and women.

“We believe that, inshaAllah, these will be implemented step by step,” Mahdi said.

The Prime Minister’s UNGA address also outlined Bangladesh’s position on global peace, Palestine, and Rohingya issues, climate change and sustainable development, while presenting the government’s vision of a prosperous, self-reliant and welfare-oriented democratic Bangladesh.

Beyond participating in the general Debate, the Prime Minister addressed or participated in high-level events on the Rohingya issues, climate action and just transition, sea-level rise and maternal, newborn health and midwifery.

Mahdi said the Prime Minister also raised issues of global peace and Palestine during the visit. “He did not speak only about Bangladesh. He spoke about world peace. He spoke about how we want to see peace in Palestine,” he said.

He said Bangladesh’s position on Palestine was also demonstrated by its walkout during the speech of the Israeli prime minister at the UN General Assembly.

Mahdi said Bangladesh also received assurances of support from different countries and organisations on issues of national interest.

“Everyone has said that they will remain with Bangladesh,” he said, adding that different organisations and institutions appreciated Bangladesh’s humanitarian role in accommodating the Rohingyas.

Mahdi said the Prime Minister’s visit was significant as he represented Bangladesh internationally after years as the head of a government elected by the people.

“We saw how the heads of government and state of different countries warmly received the Prime Minister,” he said.

He said the government would now work to translate the policies, programmes and plans presented during the visit into action.

“We want to ensure that, inspired by this visit of the Prime Minister, all of us will work shoulder to shoulder to make Bangladesh self-reliant and self-sufficient,” Mahdi said.

Prime Minister’s Press Secretary AAM Saleh Shibly said the visit also reflected a change in the country’s political culture.

He said that unlike the previous practice of large numbers of party leaders, activists and ordinary people gathering at the airport to see the Prime Minister off, the current Prime Minister did not support or encourage such gatherings.

“This is a qualitative change in our traditional political culture,” Shibly said.

He also pointed out the small size of the Prime Minister’s delegation during the visit, saying only 35 people accompanied him.

Shibly said the Prime Minister travelled to the United States on a Turkish Airlines commercial flight and returned home on an Emirates flight, instead of travelling with a large entourage on a dedicated Bangladesh aircraft.

The Prime Minister returned home this morning after completing his five-day trip, including four working days in New York.