Dhaka, Sep 21 (V7N) – Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus will travel to New York on a commercial flight to attend the 79th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), as announced by Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Saturday. This marks a shift from the previous practice of using chartered flights, which has often faced media criticism.

During a press briefing, the foreign affairs adviser emphasized the interim government's decision to send a smaller, more focused delegation. Dr Yunus will depart from Dhaka on Monday and reach New York on Tuesday (Bangladesh time) for his three-day visit.

The adviser highlighted that, unlike in past years, where Bangladesh sent large delegations to the UNGA, the current delegation of 57 members will not travel on a chartered flight. He noted that the delegation has been formed with a focus on relevance and necessity.

Touhid Hossain added that he will travel to New York two days earlier on a separate flight to attend high-level meetings in line with his responsibilities.

No Meeting Between Dr Yunus and Modi

The foreign affairs adviser confirmed that Dr Yunus is not scheduled to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the UNGA, as the two leaders will not be in New York at the same time.

However, the chief adviser will have meetings with various world leaders, including the prime ministers of the Netherlands, Pakistan, and Nepal, as well as the president of the European Commission, the US secretary of state, and the UN secretary-general. Other high-profile meetings with global figures are expected to be confirmed closer to the time.

Smaller Delegation

The 57-member delegation will be significantly smaller compared to previous years. The foreign affairs adviser explained that past delegations to the UNGA had been much larger, citing 344 members in 2018 and 335 in 2019. Although the 2020 session was held virtually due to COVID-19, subsequent delegations still remained large, with 138 members in 2022 and 146 in 2023.

The current government's focus on cost-cutting and efficiency has led to a reduced delegation, with a large portion made up of security personnel and press.

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