Prime Minister Tarique Rahman attended 10 key engagements on the first day of his visit to New York to participate in the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, with national interests, public welfare and Bangladesh’s standing on the global stage receiving priority, said his adviser Mahdi Amin.

He made the remarks at a press briefing at the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the United Nations at 8pm local time on Tuesday while reviewing the prime minister’s activities on the first day of the visit.

Mahdi Amin said the prime minister’s engagements demonstrated a focus on protecting Bangladesh’s interests, putting the interests of the people first and enhancing the country’s dignity internationally as the head of an elected government.

He said the first day’s programme covered personal, multilateral, regional and bilateral engagements, along with discussions on the Rohingya crisis and meetings with development partners.

At the beginning of the day, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman attended a breakfast hosted by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for world leaders and their spouses. The prime minister later joined the opening session of the 81st UN General Assembly.

During the first day, Tarique Rahman held separate meetings with Bhutanese Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay and Maldivian Vice President Uz Hussain Mohamed Latheef. Discussions focused on strengthening existing bilateral relations and expanding cooperation in areas including people-to-people connectivity, tourism, education and healthcare.

The prime minister also held a bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The two leaders discussed Bangladesh-Turkey relations and cooperation in various multilateral forums. Erdogan also invited Tarique Rahman to visit Turkey, Mahdi Amin said.

The adviser said Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime also held a sideline meeting with Tarique Rahman. They discussed Haiti’s law-and-order situation and the possibility of utilising Bangladesh’s experience in UN peacekeeping operations there.

The Rohingya crisis also received particular attention during the prime minister’s first day in New York, Mahdi Amin said. Tarique Rahman held meetings with Julie Bishop, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Myanmar, and UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih.

The discussions stressed the need for greater international cooperation to create conditions conducive to the safe, voluntary and dignified repatriation of Rohingyas sheltering in Bangladesh.

Tarique Rahman will attend a high-level side event on the Rohingya crisis at the UN on Wednesday, the adviser said. Bangladesh and The Gambia are jointly organising the event.

The prime minister also met World Bank Group President Ajay Banga. They discussed Bangladesh’s development priorities, economic progress and ways to further strengthen World Bank support for the country’s development programmes.

According to Mahdi Amin, the meeting also covered government priorities and policies related to education, healthcare, employment, trade, regulatory reforms and economic development.

He said the prime minister could not hold scheduled meetings with the president of the European Council and Meta. However, a high-level Bangladeshi delegation met with Meta representatives and discussed various issues, including the company’s large user base in Bangladesh.

The first day’s programme also included a reception hosted by US President Donald Trump for world leaders and their spouses, Mahdi Amin said. The reception was included in the prime minister’s official schedule for his New York visit.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is scheduled to deliver his first address on behalf of Bangladesh at the UN General Assembly’s general debate on September 24.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir, Shama Obaed Islam, Prime Minister’s Press Secretary Saleh Shibli, Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon and Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the UN Irene Khan were present at the press briefing.