Prime Minister Tarique Rahman left Dubai for Dhaka early Sunday after completing a five-day visit to New York for the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, where he highlighted Bangladesh’s priorities on peace, democracy, climate action, humanitarian issues and sustainable development.

“An Emirates flight EK582 carrying the Prime Minister, his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman and members of his entourage departed Dubai International Airport at 2:15am (Dubai time) for Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport,” PM’s Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Shiplu said.

The flight is scheduled to reach Dhaka at 8:40am.

The prime minister left New York on 25 September (New York time) after delivering his maiden address to the General Debate of the 81st UNGA and completing a packed programme of bilateral and high-level engagements with world leaders, UN officials, development partners and representatives of international organisations.

During his four-day programme in New York, Tarique Rahman held 30 official engagements, including bilateral meetings with 11 countries, Prime Minister’s Adviser and PMO spokesperson Mahdi Amin said at a press briefing before the prime minister’s departure.

The engagements focused on Bangladesh’s national interests, trade and investment, manpower exports, energy security, regional cooperation, the Rohingya crisis, health, climate change and international peace.

The prime minister took part in eight UNGA-related engagements, four high-level events on the sidelines of the UNGA and 11 bilateral meetings, besides meetings with international organisations and prominent personalities, Mahdi said.

In his UNGA address, Tarique Rahman reaffirmed Bangladesh’s support for global humanity and world peace and called for conflicts to be resolved through dialogue, diplomacy and mutual cooperation.

He also pledged to build a prosperous, self-reliant and welfare-oriented democratic Bangladesh by ensuring political and economic empowerment and equal opportunities for all, while outlining the government’s 3-R strategy of Recovery, Restoration and Reconstruction.

The prime minister put the Rohingya crisis prominently before the international community, calling for safe, voluntary and dignified repatriation and stronger international cooperation.

During the visit, he discussed the issue with UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Myanmar Julie Bishop and UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih.

Bishop and the prime minister discussed the need for international cooperation for a dignified return and a sustainable solution, while Salih stressed continued international cooperation and appreciated Bangladesh’s humanitarian role.

Tarique Rahman also met UN Secretary-General Ant¢nio Guterres, who, according to Mahdi Amin, expressed gratitude for Bangladesh’s role in sheltering the Rohingyas and contributing troops to UN peacekeeping operations and appreciated the country’s role in climate resilience and multilateral affairs.

The prime minister’s bilateral engagements included meetings with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Bhutanese Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay, Maldives Vice-President Uz Hussain Mohamed Latheef, Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aim‚, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif.

With Erdogan, he discussed expanding Bangladesh-Trkiye trade and investment and diversifying economic cooperation. With the leaders of Bhutan and the Maldives, he discussed strengthening bilateral relations and expanding cooperation, while his meeting with Haiti’s prime minister covered bilateral relations and regional and international cooperation.

In his meeting with World Bank Group President Ajay Banga, the prime minister discussed Bangladesh’s development priorities and economic progress, including strengthening cooperation with the World Bank and exploring new areas of partnership.

On climate change, the prime minister called for collective global action at the “Climate Action and the Just Transition” meeting and later called for four urgent actions to tackle sea-level rise: faster emission cuts, accessible adaptation finance, wider access to climate-smart technologies and stronger international cooperation.

At a high-level event on maternal, newborn health and midwifery, he outlined his government’s plan to build a “Healthy Bangladesh” centred on primary healthcare, including the recruitment of 100,000 additional health workers and 25,000 professional midwives.

The prime minister’s economic engagements also included a meeting with Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman on public health and healthcare modernisation and discussions with international philanthropic and humanitarian organisations on humanitarian challenges, climate change, sustainable development and economic partnership.

Before leaving New York, Tarique Rahman attended a breakfast meeting with top Wall Street investors hosted by JPMorgan Chase, where investment opportunities in different sectors of Bangladesh and ways to increase investment were discussed.

He also held a meeting with the president of the International Peace Institute, where Bangladesh’s return to democratic rule was welcomed and its role in promoting global peace was discussed.

On Friday, the prime minister also held bilateral meetings with the Crown Prince of Kuwait, the Saudi foreign minister and the deputy prime minister and foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates.

The three countries invited Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to visit their respective countries, while the meetings discussed protecting the interests of Bangladeshi workers, increasing manpower exports, energy security, cooperation in the mineral sector and increasing investment in Bangladesh.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines also signed an agreement to purchase 11 Boeing aircraft during the visit as Bangladesh moves to expand its aviation sector and open new international routes.

Prime Minister’s wife Dr Zubaida Rahman also took part in eight high-level engagements during the visit, delivering remarks at four of them, including the UN General Assembly’s Platform of Women Leaders, the First Spouses’ Dialogue and a high-level event on maternal and child health and midwifery.