Yunus Embarks on Maiden Overseas Trip, Arrives in New York

Muhammad Yunus, the chief advisor, has travelled to New York to attend the 79th United Nations General Assembly.

At 10:10 p.m. local time, the head of the government of Bangladesh boarded a Qatar Airways flight and arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport alongside regular travellers.

He was met at the airport by Bangladesh Ambassador to the UN Muhammad Abdul Muhith and Bangladesh Embassy in Washington’s Charge d’Affaires, DM Salahuddin Mahmud.


For the trip, the chief advisor left Dhaka early on Monday morning. The aircraft made a stopover in Doha before arriving in New York.

This is Yunus’s first official overseas trip. The 2016 Nobel Peace laureate assumed power on August 8 following the Awami League government’s overthrow due to a student-led mass movement.

Following the completion of airport formalities, the chief advisor was driven in a motorcade to the Hyatt Grand Central New York, where he will spend the duration of his visit with his travelling companions.


Foreign Advisor Touhid Hossain stated on Saturday that Yunus will reiterate his commitment to constructing a state system that is people-centered, welfare-oriented, and committed to the public interest in addition to highlighting on a global scale the extraordinary mass uprising that occurred in Bangladesh over the past two months.

His speech might address the Rohingya crisis, global conflicts, Bangladesh’s strong stance on peacekeeping to maintain international peace and security, the effects of climate change, climate justice, developing countries’ struggles to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), stopping the exodus of resources from developing countries, safe migration, providing basic services for migrants, and Palestinian-related issues.

On the fringes of the sessions, Touhid added, Yunus will not meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India in New York. He stated that the chief advisor won’t arrive in New York before the Indian prime minister departs. It appears improbable that they will cross paths as a result.


Nonetheless, Yunus is probably going to meet US President Joe Biden, according to the local media.

According to the foreign advisor, Yunus will meet one-on-one with the prime ministers of Nepal and Pakistan, the US secretary of state, the UN secretary-general, the UN high commissioner for human rights, the president of the World Bank Group, the president of the European Commission, and the administrator of USAID.

“Since decisions about meetings in these sessions are frequently made at the last minute, new meetings may be added to the schedule or some may be cancelled owing to time constraints,” Touhid said.