The government is preparing for a series of foreign visits by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in October and November, with Japan, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia under discussion, officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in late September. Dates have not been finalised.

Japan in late October

Japan has invited the Prime Minister to pay an official visit, and preliminary talks point to a trip to Tokyo in the last week of October. The invitation came from Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Officials said the visit is expected to focus on investment, a business meeting and progress on sending Bangladeshi skilled workers to Japan.

Earlier this year Tarique Rahman joined an online meeting on regional energy cooperation at the invitation of the Japanese Prime Minister.

COP31 in Türkiye

The Prime Minister has also been invited to COP31, the United Nations climate conference to be held in Antalya, Türkiye, from 9 to 20 November. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir discussed COP31, including the Prime Minister's participation, with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on 25 September.

Saudi Arabia in the second half of November

Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman has invited Tarique Rahman to visit the kingdom to discuss bilateral relations and regional and international issues. The Saudi ambassador in Dhaka handed over the invitation letter at the Prime Minister's Office in August. Officials said a visit in the second half of November is likely if both sides agree on dates. Talks are expected to cover investment, energy and wider cooperation.

After New York

The planning follows the Prime Minister's trip to New York for the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, where he met the leaders of seven countries, including Türkiye, Iran, Pakistan, Croatia, Haiti, Bhutan and Thailand.

A possible bilateral visit to India is also being discussed. Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi has said the invitation remains open and that the visit would take place at a time convenient to both sides, while Bangladeshi officials have described the talks as positive.

For the Bikrampur diaspora, much of which lives and works in the Gulf and other parts of the world, labour migration and investment are likely to be among the topics followed most closely during these trips.

Sources: mofa.gov.bd, pmo.gov.bd, en.wikipedia.org