PM Tarique unlikely to visit India before UNGA: Humaiun

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is unlikely to visit India before the upcoming United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session, while his proposed trip remains under discussion, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir said on Saturday.
“The discussions on the prime minister’s visit to India are ongoing. However, the date has not yet been finalised. There is no possibility of the prime minister visiting India before the UN General Assembly session,” he said while speaking to leaders of television journalists at a hotel in Sylhet.
He said Tarique would attend the UNGA with a message highlighting Bangladesh’s progress towards a new future.
“There is a possibility of a meeting between the prime minister and US President Donald Trump there,” Humaiun Kobir said.
On Bangladesh’s decision to join the Mecca pact, he said there was nothing unusual about the move, stressing that the government would take decisions based on national interests.
“Bangladesh’s joining the Mecca pact is not unusual. We will go wherever necessary based on the national interest,” he said.
Regarding Bangladesh’s planned purchase of Boeing aircraft from the United States, he said the move was driven by demand and that more aircraft could be purchased if necessary.
Meanwhile, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam said Tarique Rahman would champion Bangladesh’s national interests under the government’s “Bangladesh First” foreign policy at the UNGA.
Speaking at a discussion titled “Upcoming UNGA and Branding of Bangladesh” at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka, she said the upcoming session marked “a new journey, a new possibility and a new aspiration” for Bangladesh.
She said Tarique would present Bangladesh to the international community as a democratic, confident, responsible and promising nation.
Shama highlighted Bangladesh’s contributions to UN peacekeeping, particularly the courage and sacrifices of its peacekeepers, including women serving in dangerous missions.
On economic diplomacy, she said the government was working to restore transparency and accountability in the banking sector and create a more investment-friendly environment.
She said the “Bangladesh Invest” framework would provide one-stop services for investors, while digital facilities for company registration and other investment procedures were being expanded.
She urged non-resident Bangladeshis to use their networks to promote Bangladesh’s investment opportunities, heritage, tourism, creative industries and exportable products.
She also warned that irregular migration and human trafficking syndicates were damaging Bangladesh’s image abroad.
On the Rohingya crisis, Shama said a dedicated session would be held during the UNGA with the participation of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.