Staff Reporter :
Dr. Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser of the Interim Government of Bangladesh, is set to attend the 79th General Assembly of the United Nations (UNGA) in New York, scheduled from September 23 to September 27.
Dr. Yunus, who will be accompanied by a seven-member delegation, is departing from Dhaka on September 23 and expected to arrive in New York the following day.
A curtain-raiser event, organised by the Foreign Ministry, will be held on Saturday to brief journalists about his visit.
Dr. Yunus is scheduled to deliver a speech at the UNGA on the morning of September 27, local time, before returning to Dhaka that evening.
During the assembly, Dr. Yunus is confirmed to meet with several world leaders, including Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.
However, the much-anticipated meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi remains uncertain.
In an exclusive interview with Indian news agency PTI, Dr. Yunus expressed his desire to meet with Prime Minister Modi during his time in New York. However, the Indian government has yet to respond to this request.
Indian officials have indicated that Prime Minister Modi will be occupied with other commitments during that period.
Since the formation of the Interim Government under Dr. Yunus, following the fall of the Hasina government on August 5, relations between Bangladesh and India have come under scrutiny.
Diplomatic sources have noted that current tensions in bilateral relations need to be addressed to benefit both countries.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding a potential meeting with Prime Minister Modi, Dr. Yunus is expected to engage in discussions with other prominent figures, including Maldives’ President Mohamed Muizzu, Netherlands’ Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Bahrain’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and World Bank President Ajay Banga.
Diplomatic sources are hopeful that these high-level meetings will lead to fruitful discussions, allowing Dr. Yunus to strengthen international relations and address global issues on behalf of Bangladesh.
Additionally, Dr. Yunus is set to meet with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, and other heads of UN agencies.
As part of his visit, he will attend a reception hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden.
The Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the UN is also organising a reception on Tuesday to mark the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh’s membership in the United Nations, which Dr. Yunus will attend.
During his time in New York, he is expected to participate in discussions on social business, climate change, and meetings of the Bangladesh-US Business Council.
In recent days, some Indian media outlets reported that Dr. Yunus had requested a meeting with Prime Minister Modi, though the meeting has yet to be finalised.
Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri mentioned that while bilateral meetings with numerous heads of state are being considered, final confirmations depend on timing and availability.
It remains uncertain whether Bangladesh’s current political situation will be a topic of discussion during a bilateral meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Modi during this visit.