Prime Minister Tarique Rahman left Dhaka for Türkiye on Tuesday morning on a three-day visit to attend the COP31 World Leaders’ Summit in Antalya, where he will address the plenary and hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines.

A Turkish Airlines flight carrying the prime minister, his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman and his entourage departed Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 7:30am, said Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Shiplu. The summit runs on November 11-12, and he is due to deliver Bangladesh’s statement on November 12 before returning home on November 13.

In his address, he will outline Bangladesh’s positions on climate justice, developed countries’ historical responsibility, climate finance, adaptation, and loss and damage. Foreign Secretary Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury said Bangladesh contributes only 0.05 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet remains among the countries most vulnerable to climate change.

Bilateral meetings are being arranged with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Australian prime minister, the president of Uzbekistan and the British foreign secretary, while a meeting with the UNDP administrator is being explored. Arrangements were still being finalised, the foreign secretary said on Monday.

Bangladesh will also set up a jute pavilion in the conference’s Green Zone, and a joint declaration with Türkiye on promoting jute products is envisaged. The foreign ministry will hold two side events in the Blue Zone on November 12 and 13, on women’s vulnerability to climate change and on biodegradable jute alternatives to plastic