Dhaka, Sept 22 (V7N) – Chief Adviser of the interim government, Professor Muhammad Yunus, departed Dhaka late Sunday night for New York to attend the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
The Chief Adviser and his delegation boarded an Emirates Airlines commercial flight that took off from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 1:40 a.m. His Press Secretary, Shafiqul Alam, confirmed the information to BSS.
According to the official schedule, Professor Yunus will arrive in New York on September 22 and deliver his address to the General Assembly on September 26. In his speech, he is expected to highlight the reform initiatives taken by the interim government over the past year, the aspirations of the July 2024 mass uprising, and the government’s commitment to holding free, fair, and participatory elections in February 2026.
In addition to his speech, Yunus will join several high-level meetings and global events. On September 25, he will attend a high-level meeting marking the 30th anniversary of the World Programme of Action for Youth, where he will present Bangladesh’s role in promoting peace, security, development, and human rights. He is also scheduled to address pressing issues such as peacekeeping, climate change, sustainable development, safe migration, illicit financial flows, artificial intelligence, and the establishment of peace in Palestine.
Professor Yunus is accompanied by six political leaders: BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir; Humayun Kabir, Foreign Affairs Adviser to BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman; Jamaat-e-Islami Nayeb-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Muhammad Taher; Jamaat leader Naqibur Rahman Tariq; Akhtar Hossain, Member-Secretary of the National Citizen’s Party (NCP); and Dr. Tasnim Jara, Joint Convener of NCP.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has described this year’s UNGA session as particularly significant for Bangladesh. On September 30, the UN will host a high-level conference titled “The Situation of Rohingya Muslims and Other Minorities in Myanmar.” This will be the first such high-level discussion on the Rohingya issue at the UN, following a preparatory meeting held in Cox’s Bazar last month with international partners and Rohingya representatives. The conference was proposed by Professor Yunus and endorsed unanimously by UN member states.
During his stay, Yunus will also attend receptions hosted by UN Secretary-General António Guterres and U.S. President Donald Trump, alongside holding bilateral meetings with heads of state and government.
Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md. Touhid Hossain will represent Bangladesh at several ministerial-level events, including the Commonwealth Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, the Peacebuilding Commission, the G-77 and China Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, the Women, Peace and Security Focal Points Network, the OIC Annual Coordination Meeting, BIMSTEC, CICA, and LDC ministerial meetings.
Professor Yunus is expected to return to Dhaka on October 2.
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