UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, accompanied by Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, headed to Cox’s Bazar following a meeting in Dhaka. They aim to support Rohingya refugees, engaging in various activities including Iftar with the community. Guterres’s visit also includes meetings with government officials and a press conference before his departure on Sunday.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres met with Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus at Yunus’s office on Friday before departing for Cox’s Bazar to visit displaced Rohingya refugees. Their travel to Cox’s Bazar was facilitated by a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight, as reported by the Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha. This visit is part of Guterres’s four-day state trip to Bangladesh, which commenced at Yunus’s invitation on Thursday.
During his state visit, Guterres also had a meeting with Foreign Advisor Touhid Hossain on the same day. Details of Guterres’s itinerary were shared by Abul Kalam Azad Majumder, the Deputy Press Secretary to the Chief Advisor, during a press conference at the Foreign Service Academy. Guterres was announced to arrive in Dhaka at 5 PM on Thursday, with significant engagement activities designated for Friday and Saturday.
The Chief Advisor has outlined a specific agenda for Cox’s Bazar, which includes inaugurating a project at the Cox’s Bazar Airport, visiting a climate refugee center, and officially opening a model mosque. After arriving in Cox’s Bazar, Guterres will head directly to the Rohingya camps for a campaign aimed at the children of Rohingya refugees and participate in a presentation regarding nutrition and refugee support, followed by a visit to the Rohingya Cultural Center to observe a cultural performance.
After these activities, Guterres will join an Iftar with the refugees, where attendance is expected to be around 100,000 Rohingya individuals. This communal Iftar is organized by the Chief Advisor. Following this engagement, both leaders will return to Dhaka on Friday.
On Saturday, Guterres’s agenda in Dhaka includes visiting the UN office, meeting with the National Consensus Commission, and holding discussions with civil society representatives. A press conference is also scheduled for that afternoon. The Chief Advisor is set to host a dinner and Iftar in honor of the UN Secretary-General. Guterres is scheduled to depart from Bangladesh on Sunday, concluding his visit.
The visit of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to Bangladesh, initiated at the invitation of Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, emphasizes the pressing humanitarian issues faced by Rohingya refugees. The itinerary includes significant engagements in Cox’s Bazar, centered on support for displaced individuals, followed by discussions with Bangladeshi officials and civil society representatives. The visit culminates in communal Iftar, a gesture of solidarity with the refugee community, underscoring an important commitment to global humanitarian efforts.
Original Source: bdnews24.com
