Desk News || DHAKA, Sept 26: Prime Minister Tarique Rahman returned to Bangladesh on Saturday morning following a five-day visit to New York, where he attended the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), delivered his maiden address to the General Debate and held a series of diplomatic and economic discussions with international leaders and organisations.An Emirates flight carrying the Prime Minister, his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman and members of his delegation arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 8:21 am, according to PM's Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Shiplu, who spoke to BSS.Among those present to welcome the Prime Minister were Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Minister Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni, Prime Minister's Defence Adviser Brigadier General (retd) AKM Shamsul Islam, Whip Miah Nuruddin Ahmad Apu, local MP SM Jahangir Hossain, Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Ghani and Principal Secretary ABM Abdus Sattar.Extensive Diplomatic EngagementsTarique Rahman departed Dhaka on September 21 and arrived in New York the same day after a brief stop in Istanbul. He left New York on September 25, travelling through Dubai before returning home.Across four working days in New York, the Prime Minister participated in 30 official engagements. These included 11 bilateral meetings, eight activities related to the UN General Assembly and 11 engagements with international institutions. Together, the Prime Minister and his delegation attended approximately 80 engagements during the visit.His diplomatic programme included meetings with the heads of state or government of seven countries: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime, Bhutanese Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.Discussions covered bilateral relations, trade and investment opportunities, economic partnerships and cooperation on regional and international matters.In his meeting with Erdogan, the Prime Minister explored opportunities to expand Bangladesh-Turkiye trade and investment while broadening economic cooperation.His discussions with Shehbaz Sharif addressed bilateral ties, regional and global developments and potential areas of collaboration. With Plenkovic, he discussed economic partnerships, trade, investment, skilled workforce development, education, technology and cooperation within multilateral institutions.Meetings with Pezeshkian, Fils-Aime, Tobgay and Charnvirakul also focused on strengthening bilateral relations and identifying opportunities for closer cooperation.The Prime Minister additionally held discussions with Maldives Vice-President Uz Hussain Mohamed Latheef, Kuwait's Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah Al Saud and Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard.Talks with Middle Eastern representatives addressed the welfare and interests of Bangladeshi expatriate workers, expanding overseas employment opportunities, energy security, cooperation in the minerals sector and investment prospects in Bangladesh. Prime Minister's First UN General Debate AddressA central event of the visit was Tarique Rahman's address to the UN General Debate on September 24, marking his first speech at the international forum as Bangladesh's Prime Minister.He reiterated Bangladesh's commitment to peace, humanitarian values and international cooperation, urging countries to resolve conflicts through dialogue and diplomatic engagement.Presenting the government's three-pronged development framework, Recovery, Restoration and Reconstruction, he outlined a vision for a democratic, prosperous and self-reliant Bangladesh. He emphasised political and economic empowerment, equal opportunities for citizens, employment generation and the development of a skilled workforce.He also highlighted the government's ambition to strengthen Bangladesh's manufacturing capacity and establish the country as a major manufacturing hub.The Prime Minister delivered seven speeches during the visit, addressing issues ranging from international cooperation and economic development to climate action, healthcare and humanitarian challenges. Rohingya Repatriation Remains a Key PriorityThe prolonged Rohingya crisis featured prominently in the Prime Minister's UN address and his meetings with international representatives.Tarique Rahman maintained that the sustainable resolution of the crisis depends on the safe and dignified return of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar. He urged the international community to intensify efforts to establish conditions that would enable their voluntary repatriation.He raised the issue with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General's Special Envoy on Myanmar Julie Bishop and UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih.At a high-level event hosted by Bangladesh, the Prime Minister called for five urgent measures to address the crisis, including stronger international initiatives to facilitate safe, voluntary and dignified repatriation.During his meeting with Guterres, the UN Secretary-General acknowledged Bangladesh's humanitarian contribution in providing shelter to Rohingya refugees and its participation in UN peacekeeping missions. He also recognised the country's engagement in climate resilience and multilateral cooperation. Climate Action and Healthcare InitiativesClimate change and its consequences for vulnerable communities were also prominent subjects during the visit.Addressing high-level discussions on rising sea levels, climate action and just transition, Tarique Rahman called for more substantial global emissions reductions, reliable access to climate adaptation funding and broader availability of climate-friendly technologies.He also stressed the need for stronger international collaboration to address climate-related displacement and losses.At a joint Bangladesh-Sweden-UNFPA event on midwifery, the Prime Minister presented his vision of a "Healthy Bangladesh", placing primary healthcare at the heart of the country's health-sector reforms.He outlined plans to recruit an additional 100,000 healthcare workers, including 80,000 women, alongside 25,000 professional midwives. The government also intends to establish an integrated digital health system to improve healthcare delivery. Investment Discussions and Boeing Aircraft AgreementEconomic diplomacy formed another significant part of the New York programme.At a breakfast meeting hosted by JPMorgan Chase with representatives of Wall Street, the Prime Minister discussed Bangladesh's economic outlook, investment opportunities and prospects for international business partnerships.During the visit, Biman Bangladesh Airlines signed an agreement with Boeing to purchase 11 aircraft. The acquisition is part of Bangladesh's broader plans to expand its aviation industry and introduce additional international routes.Tarique Rahman also met World Bank Group President Ajay Banga, Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman, International Peace Institute President and CEO Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, among other prominent international figures.His discussions with Banga covered Bangladesh's development priorities, economic progress and opportunities to strengthen cooperation with the World Bank.The meeting with Suzman focused on public health, child healthcare, vaccination programmes, affordable vaccines, preventive healthcare and modernising the country's health system. Engagements with World Leaders and Their SpousesOn September 22, the Prime Minister and Dr Zubaida Rahman attended a welcome breakfast hosted by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for world leaders and their spouses ahead of the opening of the UNGA General Debate.They also joined a reception hosted by US President Donald Trump for leaders attending the General Assembly.Dr Zubaida Rahman participated in eight high-level engagements during the visit and delivered remarks at four of them. Her programme included the UN General Assembly's Platform of Women Leaders, the First Spouses' Dialogue and a high-level discussion on maternal and child health and midwifery.The visit combined Bangladesh's participation in the UN General Assembly with diplomatic outreach, economic discussions and engagement on humanitarian, climate and healthcare priorities.