Prime Minister Balendra Shah, who has already triggered debate by departing from traditional diplomatic protocol in his meetings with foreign envoys, is set to break another long-standing tradition on Tuesday.

Shah, who is scheduled to leave for New York this evening via Doha with a small team, will not have the customary farewell ceremony at the Tribhuvan International Airport, according to his aides and foreign ministry officials.

Shah is leading the Nepali delegation to the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. He is scheduled to leave Kathmandu at 7pm on Tuesday, with a brief stopover in Doha before continuing to New York.

This will be Shah’s first foreign visit since he became prime minister following the March elections.

Unlike in the past, there will be no guard of honour by the Nepali Army, a foreign ministry official said. Nor have foreign diplomats been invited to see off the prime minister.

Previously, when prime ministers undertook foreign visits, a formal ceremony was held, with ministers, heads of security agencies, senior bureaucrats, foreign diplomats and party leaders attending to see them off.

This time, according to Shah’s aides and government officials, his motorcade will proceed directly to the tarmac, where the Qatar Airways aircraft will be parked.

“Even ministers have not been invited to the airport to see off the prime minister,” the official said. “There will be no formal function, no guard of honour and no red carpet as the prime minister’s motorcade proceeds to the aircraft.”

The dean of the diplomatic corps and representatives of the United Nations in Nepal have also not been invited to see off the prime minister, according to officials.

“The entire country is in a state of shock due to the devastating floods in the Bhotekoshi river, which is why the prime minister did not want to make a fanfare at the airport,” the official said. “Second, he may also be following international practice. In most countries, such ceremonies are not organised at airports. So the prime minister wants to break with those traditions as well.”

As of September 20, 1,436 bodies had been recovered in connection with the Bhotekoshi floods, while 4,655 people were still reported missing following the devastating August 26 flash floods.

Following the disaster, Shah, who had earlier decided not to travel to New York to attend the UN General Assembly, decided to go ahead with the visit and address the global forum.

Nepali diplomats in New York told the Post that there is considerable interest within the diplomatic community in Shah’s decision to personally attend and address the UN General Assembly. The prime minister has received multiple requests from several heads of government for bilateral meetings, but he is not meeting any of them this time.

Shah will address the General Debate of the 81st UN General Assembly on September 24. He is scheduled to return to Kathmandu on September 26. During his stay in New York, he is also scheduled to meet UN Secretary-General António Guterres on September 24.

While in Doha, Acting Nepali Ambassador to Qatar Kumar Rai will receive Shah at Hamad International Airport, according to the itinerary.

Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal reached New York on Monday and has begun bilateral meetings. Two of the prime minister’s aides, Pradeep Pariyar and Subash Sharma, have already reached New York to oversee logistics and coordinate his engagements.

Shah will be accompanied by Chief Adviser Kumar Byanjankar, Chief of Protocol Kumar Kharel, personal photographer Binaya Shakya, two security officers and one protocol officer.