PM's UN visit brightened Bangladesh's image: Humayun Kabir

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir has said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's participation in the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly has elevated Bangladesh's confidence, respect and dignity in the international arena to a new height.

He made these remarks while briefing journalists on the overall progress of the UN General Assembly session and the New York visit at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka on Monday. He noted that this visit carries special importance as it was the first UN visit of the newly elected government.

The State Minister said, "After a long time, a Prime Minister elected by the people's massive mandate has represented Bangladesh on the global stage. Through this visit, the country's confidence, respect and dignity on foreign soil have increased manifold. It was an unprecedented and highly visible active participation of Bangladesh in the international arena."

The press conference was informed that the Prime Minister arrived in New York on September 21 and participated in a total of 30 important international programmes during the four-day visit. These included delivering a speech at the UN General Assembly, presenting keynote addresses at seven high-level meetings, holding bilateral meetings with heads of government and state of 11 countries, and meetings with senior officials of 10 top international organisations.

In his speech delivered in Bangla at the UN General Assembly session on September 24, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman highlighted Bangladesh's recent democratic transition and his government's specific action plan on 'recovery, reconstruction and rehabilitation'. He also highlighted the empowerment of women and youth, the social security system, the development of the education and technology sectors, and the need for international cooperation after graduating from Least Developed Country (LDC) status.

State Minister Humayun Kabir said the Prime Minister strongly demanded the rapid, dignified and sustainable repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar in his speech. At the same time, he reiterated the Palestine issue, climate justice, development financing, technology transfer and Bangladesh's contribution to UN peacekeeping missions.

During the visit, at a special high-level meeting organised jointly by Bangladesh and The Gambia, the Prime Minister called for formulating a clear roadmap for the sustainable repatriation of the Rohingyas, continuing international humanitarian assistance and ensuring accountability for crimes against humanity committed in Myanmar. At a special climate meeting, he demanded global action to tackle the risk of sea-level rise, and at a Bangladesh-Sweden joint meeting, he also spoke on the inclusion of midwives in primary healthcare.

Regarding bilateral meetings, the State Minister said that during his stay in New York, the Prime Minister held separate bilateral meetings with the top leaders of Turkey, Iran, the Maldives, Bhutan, Pakistan, Thailand, Croatia, Haiti and Kuwait. Additionally, high-level delegations from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates paid courtesy calls on him. He said that alongside meetings with the UN Secretary-General and heads of various international organisations, the Prime Minister's meetings with international businessmen and investors have opened the path for new investment and cooperation in Bangladesh.

Describing the visit as highly successful and fruitful, the State Minister for Foreign Affairs said that through this visit, the new government was able to clearly present the country's main priorities to the international community and further strengthen bilateral and multilateral relations.

In response to a question at the briefing on the possibility of purchasing Boeing aircraft, Humayun Kabir said aircraft will be purchased as needed with the aim of expanding the fleet and building Bangladesh as a regional aviation hub. He said, "There is no hidden agenda behind buying new aircraft. All decisions will be taken based on the needs and route requirements of our national flag carrier, Biman Bangladesh Airlines."

Source: BSS