Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus will leave Dhaka on September 22 for New York to attend the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), where he will deliver Bangladesh’s national statement and participate in a series of high-level meetings.

Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain briefed reporters at the Foreign Service Academy on Thursday, confirming that Prof Yunus is scheduled to address the General Assembly on September 26. In his speech, he is expected to highlight the interim government’s reform measures, the aspirations of the July 2024 mass uprising, and the commitment to holding free, fair, and inclusive elections in February 2026.

This year’s Bangladesh delegation will include four senior political leaders: BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, BNP leader Humayun Kabir, Jamaat-e-Islami Nayeb-e-Ameer Syeed Abdullah Muhammad Taher, and National Citizen Party (NCP) leader Akhter Hossen. Senior officials including Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam and the Chief Adviser’s press team will also accompany him.

UN assembly 

The UNGA session holds particular significance for Bangladesh as the UN will host its first High-Level Conference on the Situation of Rohingya Muslims and Other Minorities in Myanmar on September 30. The conference follows a proposal made by Prof Yunus last year and will build on last month’s “Partners’ Dialogue” in Cox’s Bazar.

Prof Yunus will also attend the High-Level Meeting commemorating the 30th Anniversary of the World Programme of Action for Youth on September 25, where Bangladesh is expected to spotlight the role of youth in democratic reforms. Bangladesh will further participate in discussions on Women, Peace and Security, peacekeeping, climate justice, safe migration, AI-driven technology transfer, and the global call for peace in Palestine.

Alongside his address, the Chief Adviser will join receptions hosted by UN Secretary-General António Guterres and U.S. President Donald Trump, as well as hold bilateral meetings with world leaders. His international reputation has drawn significant global media interest and invitations to side events including NRB Connect and Asia Society programmes.

Foreign Adviser Hossain will represent Bangladesh in a series of ministerial meetings of the Commonwealth, G77 and China, OIC, BIMSTEC, and other forums.

Prof Yunus will travel on a commercial flight and return to Dhaka on October 2.

The General Debate of the UNGA will take place from September 23–27 and on September 29 under the theme “Better Together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights.”

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