PM Flies to New York To Attend 69th UNGA

An Emirates flight carrying the Prime Minister and members of her entourage took off from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport here on Sunday at 9.30 pm.

The flight is expected to reach John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport in New York at 8.25 am (New York time) on Monday. On their way to New York, Sheikh Hasina and her entourage members would make a stopover at Dubai for about two hours.

Bangladesh Ambassador to the US Mohammad Ziauddin and Bangladesh Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN Dr Abdul Momen will receive the Prime Minister at the JFK International Airport.

After a warm welcome, Sheikh Hasina will be taken to Hotel Grand Hyatt New York through a ceremonial motorcade where she will be staying during her visit.

The Prime Minister is scheduled to deliver her speech on September 27 at the UNGA on behalf of Bangladesh.

Like the previous years, the Bangladesh premier would deliver her address in Bangla following the footsteps of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman," Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali told a media briefing on Wednesday.

On September 23, the Prime Minister will attend the inaugural session of the Climate Conference 2014 and deliver her speech at the "National Action and Ambition Announcement" session of the conference.

She will join a reception to be hosted by US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at Waldorf Astoria the same day.

Sheikh Hasina will attend the opening session of the 69th UNGA at the UN Headquarters on September 24. She will also join a reception and luncheon to be hosted by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

The Bangladesh premier will take part in a high-level discussion of the Global Education First Initiative the same day.

On September 25, Sheikh Hasina is expected to join a luncheon to be hosted by American Chamber and American Business Council at Grand Hyatt Hotel.

She will join a discussion of the Commonwealth heads of the government the same day.

The Prime Minister will attend a summit on "The International Peacekeeping Operation" at the UN Headquarters on September 26. She will join a function marking the 40th anniversary of Bangladesh's UN membership the same day.

On September 27, she will attend the Global Citizens' Festival at Great Lawn at Central Park.

On the sidelines of the UNGA, the Prime Minister will hold a meeting with her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on September 27.

She will also meet Norwegian Premier Erna Solberg, Belarusian Prime Minister Mikhal V. Myasnikovich, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hmad Al-Thani and Nepalese Prime Minister Sushil Koirala.

Sheikh Hasina will address a press conference at Bangladesh's Permanent Mission on September 26. She is expected to join a reception to be accorded by the expatriates Bangladeshis on September 27.

Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, Health Minister Mohammad Nasim, Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Engineer Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain, Environment and Forest Minister Anwar Hossain Manju, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, Food Minister Advocate Qamrul Islam, PM's Advisor on Political Affairs HT Imam, PM's Advisor on Economic Affairs Dr Mashiur Rahman, PM's Advisor on Media Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam, among others, will accompany the Prime Minister during her visit.

The premier's entourage would also include lawmakers, leaders of different political parties, senior officials, eminent social figures, journalists and business leaders.

The theme of the UNGA this year is "Delivering on and Implementing a Transformative Post-2015 Development Agenda" while it was likely to adopt the UN's Post Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), as the MDG timeframe is set to expire next year.

-Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS)