Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will address the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 24 for the first time as the third member of the Zia family.

His father, martyred President Ziaur Rahman, addressed the United Nations General Assembly for the first time on August 26, 1980. His mother, former Prime Minister, the late Begum Khaleda Zia, addressed the General Assembly for the first time on October 1, 1993.

Tarique Rahman's speech next Thursday will mark a new chapter in the Zia family's more than four-decade-long relationship with the United Nations General Assembly.

In his address to the 11th special session of the United Nations General Assembly, late President Ziaur Rahman emphasized the growing disparity between rich and poor countries, poverty and hunger, economic development, and the need for greater international cooperation.

Martyred President Ziaur Rahman addresses the United Nations General Assembly. Photo: Collected.

He questioned why poverty and hunger persist despite international commitments to development, and called for a world built on peace, human dignity, justice, and mutual responsibility among nations.

Exactly 13 years after this speech, former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia addressed the 48th session of the United Nations General Assembly on October 1, 1993.

Later, she addressed the General Assembly several more times. These included the commemorative meeting on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations in 1995 and the 27th special session on children in 2002. Begum Khaleda Zia also addressed two separate meetings of the 60th session in 2005.

According to UN documents, Begum Khaleda Zia addressed the General Assembly proceedings a total of five times from 1993 to 2005.

This is the first time that Tarique Rahman, as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, is going to speak on the same international stage.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaid Islam said that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will leave Dhaka for New York on September 21 to attend the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly. He is scheduled to address the General Assembly on September 24.

Former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia addresses the United Nations General Assembly. Photo: Collected.

He further said that the issue of climate change will receive special importance in the Prime Minister's speech. Bangladesh will present its position and priorities to the international community on this issue.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir said the Prime Minister will present Bangladesh's new vision and future plans to world leaders. This will focus on the country's democratic transformation, future development priorities, global peace, and sustainable solutions to international crises.

He said that the issues of poverty alleviation, economic prospects, climate change mitigation and climate finance will also feature in the Prime Minister's speech. In addition, the Rohingya crisis will be considered as a major priority during the visit.

In addition, this year's 81st session carries additional significance for Bangladesh because Foreign Minister Dr. Khalilur Rahman is currently serving as the President of the United Nations General Assembly.

According to the UN's preliminary schedule, the general debate of the 81st session of the General Assembly will take place from September 22 to 26 and September 28.

The chapter that began with the speech of martyred President Ziaur Rahman in 1980, and continued with the participation of Begum Khaleda Zia from 1993 to 2005, will open a new horizon in that chapter with the first speech of Tarique Rahman in 2026.