Prime Minister Tarique Rahman held 30 formal programmes, including 11 bilateral meetings with heads of state and government, during his visit to New York to attend the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, said Prime Minister’s Adviser and PMO spokesperson Mahdi Amin.

Mahdi Amin made the remarks while briefing Bangladeshi journalists at the Bangladesh Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York on Friday.

He said the engagements focused on Bangladesh’s national interests, trade and investment, manpower export, energy security, regional cooperation, the Rohingya crisis, healthcare, climate change and global peace.

According to Mahdi, eight programmes were directly related to the UN General Assembly, while the Prime Minister attended four high-level side events. He also held 11 bilateral meetings with leaders of different countries and several meetings with heads of international organisations and other dignitaries.

He said the Prime Minister discussed ways to expand people-to-people connectivity, trade and investment and strengthen mutual cooperation with different countries.

On Thursday, Tarique Rahman attended a breakfast meeting hosted by JPMorgan Chase with leading Wall Street investors, where investment opportunities in Bangladesh and ways to increase foreign investment were discussed.

He later met the President of the International Peace Institute, where Bangladesh’s return to democratic governance and the country’s role in promoting global peace were discussed.

The Prime Minister also met the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. According to Mahdi Amin, the meeting covered human rights, the rule of law and democracy in Bangladesh.