YouSaid · the spoken record

Sheikh Hasina

lines on the record: 296
first: 1999-09-24
most recent: 2023-09-24
sittings or episodes: 16
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“3 million of our countrymen were killed during our great War of Liberation, while 200.000 women were heinously tortured and abused. As a victim of and witness to the brutalities of war and assassination. I can feel the pain and agony that people endure due to the horrors of wars, killings, coups d’etat and conflicts. Therefore, my appeal today to all the leaders of the world is to shun the path of war and confrontation and to work collectively for enduring peace, the well-being of humankind and economic prosperity for our people and future generations.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“We will pursue our efforts to realize the rights of the people of Palestine. Bangladesh will stand by Palestine. It has been six years since the forcible displacement of the Rohingyas from Myanmar. Out of humanitarian concern, we have given them temporary shelter. The displaced Rohingyas want to return to their own country and live a peaceful life there. Let us ensure that those destitute people can soon return to their homes.. On 15 August 1975. my father, the father of our nation and the incumbent President of Bangladesh. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was brutally assassinated. A total of 18 members of my family were killed that day. including my mother, my three younger brothers, two sisters-in-law and my parental uncles. Only my younger sister and I survived the brutality, as we were abroad at that time. Before that, in 1971.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“My Government maintains a zero-tolerance policy against terrorism and violent extremism. Acts that undermine communal harmony and the peaceful coexistence of people of different faiths and beliefs are serious crimes. Bangladesh believes in communal harmony. As an elected member of the Human Rights Council, we are working with fellow member States to safeguard all human rights of people around the world. I would like here and now to unequivocally reiterate that Bangladesh will continue to promote democracy, the rule of law and freedom of expression, in line with our Constitution. This year marks the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Nakba. the catastrophe inflicted upon the people of Palestine. It is deeply troubling that the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people have remained unmet.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“I signed the agreement under the United Nations Convention on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction. Our commitment to global peace and security is well manifested in our contribution to United Nations peacekeeping operations. As of now. 188.000 men and women from Bangladesh have served in 55 peacekeeping missions in 40 countries. Relying on our own experience, we are also actively contributing to post-conflict reconstruction efforts through our leadership role in the United Nations Peace-building Commission. We strongly support the role of the Commission in strengthening the United Nations prevention agenda. We remain concerned at the continued prevalence of terrorist threats that are now taking new forms due to the misuse of information and communication technology.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“my Government is heavily investing in building a Smart Bangladesh to transform the country into a high-income, poverty-free, developed nation, grounded in the proper utilization of science and technology and powered by innovation. In Bangladesh, we have achieved exemplary success in bringing primary health-care services to the grassroots level through community clinics. Bangladesh’s success has been recognized and appreciated by the General Assembly. After peaceful settlements of maritime boundaries with our neighbouring countries, the blue economy has opened up a new horizon for the development of Bangladesh. We believe that the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea need to be effectively implemented to ensure sustainable use of marine resources. The day before yesterday.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“We are providing 10 million people in the low-income bracket with rice and other commodities at affordable prices. We have taken various steps to keep inflation under control. I thank the Secretary-General for forming the Global Crisis Response Group in 2022 and for the Group’s continued advocacy and solutions in addressing the global food, energy and financial crises. We are deeply concerned that the Black Sea Grain Initiative has become defunct and call on all parties concerned to secure its early restoration. Moreover, for countries like ours, the uninterrupted access to fertilizers must be ensured. As part of Vision 2041.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“Under the Ashrayan project, a landmark initiative of my Government for landless and homeless people. 5 million people from 840.000 families have been provided with houses free of cost. The developed economies must fulfil their $100-billion commitments. We also demand the urgent operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund, as agreed at the twenty-seventh Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. We call for stronger global solidarity in sharing the burden of climate migrants induced by sea-level rise, salinity increase, river erosion, floods and drought. The interlinked crises of the past few years have pushed up the prices of food, energy and commodities globally, with negative impacts on our economy. Despite those challenges, we have ensured food for everyone.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“We have been providing textbooks free of cost up to the secondary level since 2010. From primary to higher education, about 23 million students are being provided with stipends, scholarships and one-time grants. More than half of those recipients are female. Despite contributing less than 0.47 per cent of global emissions. Bangladesh is one of the most climatically vulnerable countries in the world. The adverse effects of climate change pose serious threats to the security and economic prosperity of our present and future generations. Urgent, bold and ambitious collective actions are needed to address those threats. We established the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust in 2009 to finance climate adaptation and have to date allocated $480 million to the fund from our own resources.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“We have expanded the social safety net coverage to ensure the social and financial security of destitute women, widows, the elderly, persons with disabilities, persons of third gender and other marginalized segments of society. Forty million people are receiving the benefits of our social safety net programme, directly or indirectly. In the current fiscal year, a total of $12 billion has been allocated to the social safety net programmes. This year, we have introduced a universal pension scheme through which any citizen aged between 18 and 50 years of age can access old- age benefits. We are committed to ensuring women’s empowerment and gender equality within a stipulated timeframe. We have given special attention to overall education, including female literacy.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“Only a regeneration of the feeling of human solidarity and brotherhood and an acknowledgement of interdependence can bring about a rational solution and the urgent action needed to avoid this catastrophe.” (A/PV.2243. /mm 8 and 9) In that connection, we deeply appreciate the Secretary- General’s initiative to convene the Summit of the Future next year. We hope that this process will amply complement our efforts to attain the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Since assuming office in 2009. we have transformed Bangladesh from a lower-middle income country to a middle-income country. We reduced the poverty rate from 41.5 per cent in 2006 to 18.7 per cent in 2022 and the extreme poverty rate from 25.1 per cent to 5.6 per cent.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“I would also like to express my deep appreciation to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for his strong commitment to strengthening multilateralism and for his efforts, bold statements and far-sighted and pragmatic steps towards making the United Nations deliver on its mandates and meet the challenges of the current world. At this critical juncture. President Francis’s call for rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity reminds me of the maiden speech delivered by our Father of the Nation to the Assembly. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman stated in his address to the Assembly in 1974: “The great economic upheavals that have recently shaken the world should generate a sense of urgency for building a just economic order. ...”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“Due to time constraints. I shall deliver an abridged version of my statement. The full version is available to all representatives. Today I am delivering my nineteenth statement to the General Assembly. I would like to congratulate Mr. Dennis Francis on his election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-eighth session. I assure him of the Bangladesh delegation’s full cooperation throughout the session. I also commend his predecessor. Mr. Csaba Korosi. for his successful steering of the seventy-seventh session.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“Having suffered these things myself, I can rightly realize the pain and agony that people endure due to the horrors of war, killings, coups and conflict. I therefore do not want war. I want peace. I want welfare for humankind. I want economic development for people. I want to ensure a peaceful world, and a developed and prosperous life for future generations. My earnest appeal to Member States is to stop war and the arms race. May the values of humankind be upheld. Let us join our hands together and build a better future, leaving no one behind, so that our future generations may live in a peaceful world. Joy Bangla, Joy Bangabandhu. May Bangladesh live forever.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“My younger sister, Sheikh Rehana and myself survived the brutality on 15 August 1975, as we were in Germany at that time. After that, we spent six years abroad as refugees. In 1971, when the liberation war going on, the Pakistan occupation forces killed 3 million innocent Bengalis. Two hundred thousand women were heinously tortured and abused. I recall their sacrifices with deep homage. After my father was arrested in 1971, he was taken to an undisclosed location in Pakistan. In Dhaka, my mother, my younger brothers Sheikh Russell and Sheikh Jamal, younger sister Sheikh Rehana and I were arrested, too, and were kept in a damp one-story house. My first child, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, was born in that prison house. There was no furniture in that house. There were no medical facilities or provisions. Even getting daily food was uncertain.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“On 15 August 1975, my father, the father of the nation, the incumbent President of Bangladesh Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was brutally assassinated, along with my mother Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib, my three younger brothers, Freedom Fighter Captain Sheikh Kamal and his newly married wife Sultana, Freedom Fighter Lieutenant Sheikh Jamal and his newly married wife Parveen Rosy, and Sheikh Russell, who was just 10 years old. A total of 18 of my family members were killed, including my paternal uncle Freedom Fighter Sheikh Abu Naser, paternal uncle Abdur Rab Serniabat, his 13-year-old daughter Baby Serniabat, 10-year-old son Arif Serniabat and 4-year-old son Shukanto, my paternal cousin Freedom Fighter Sheikh Mani and his pregnant wife Arzu Mani, Brigadier Jamil, and police officer Siddiqur Rahman. May their souls rest in peace.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Due to sanctions and counter-sanctions, all humankind, including women and children, is being punished. The war’s impact is not confined to one country; rather, it puts the lives and livelihoods of the people of all nations at greater risk and infringes their human rights. People are deprived of food, shelter, health care and education. Children suffer the most in particular. Their future sinks into darkness. I appeal to the conscience of the world to stop the arms race, war and sanctions; ensure food, education, health care and the security of the children; and establish peace. We want to see a peaceful world with enhanced cooperation and solidarity, shared prosperity and collective actions. We share one planet, and we owe it to our future generations to leave it in a better shape. I would like to talk about a cruel tragedy now.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“If the problem persists further, it may affect the security and stability of the entire region and beyond. The greatest lesson we learned from the COVID-19 pandemic is that no one is safe until everyone is safe. We must use the hard-earned lessons to stimulate the critical and much-needed reforms of our institutions, including of the United Nations, to better prepare for such calamities in the future. We are interested in looking for transformative solutions to alleviate poverty, mitigate the adverse effects of climate change, and prevent conflicts and the economic, energy and fuel crises that the world is grappling with now. However, we need to understand the fact that socioeconomic development cannot be achieved without ensuring peace and stability. We want to see the end of the Russia-Ukraine war.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Despite our bilateral engagements with Myanmar, trilateral discussions with partners and engagements with the United Nations and Member States, not a single Rohingya has been repatriated to her or his ancestral home in Myanmar. The ongoing political turmoil and armed conflicts in the country have made the repatriation of the displaced Rohingyas even more difficult. I hope the United Nations will play an effective role in that regard. The prolonged presence of the Rohingya in Bangladesh has had serious repercussions on our economy, environment, security and sociopolitical stability. Uncertainty over repatriation has led to widespread frustration. Cross- border organized crime, including human and drug trafficking, is on the rise. This situation can even potentially fuel radicalization.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Since 1997 and for 18 years during the tenure of my Government, we have provided housing to more than 3.5 million people. We believe that continued democratic polity and norms can ensure people’s socioeconomic emancipation. We will continue to extend our support to the Palestinian people. I reiterate Bangladesh’s unequivocal support for the two-State solution, based on the pre-1967 borders and the establishment of a Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital. I shall now turn to the Rohingya people forcibly displaced from Myanmar. Last month marked five years since the 2017 start of the mass exodus of the Rohingyas to Bangladesh from their home country.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“We have adopted a zero-tolerance policy on terrorism and violent extremism. We do not allow our territory to be used by any party to incite or cause terrorist acts or harm to others. I also call on Member States to work together for the conclusion of an internationally binding instrument to tackle cybercrime and cyberviolence. As a responsible Member Sate, Bangladesh is fully committed to protecting and promoting the human rights of its own people. We have adopted a holistic and inclusive approach to ensuring the political, economic, cultural and social rights of the people. For example, we have adopted legal provisions to ensure the rights and welfare of third-gender individuals. We have been implementing the Ashrayan project to provide free housing to all homeless and landless families in the country.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“As a reflection of our peace-centric foreign policy, we are the largest contributor of troops and police to United Nations peacekeeping missions. They help maintain peace, support the capacity-building of national and local institutions, protect civilians from harm, empower women and other vulnerable communities and build a sustainable society. While performing those duties, many of them have sacrificed their lives. We believe that we cannot sustain peace without addressing the root causes of conflict. As the current Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission, we are doing our part by creating a platform for multi-stakeholder engagement in support of the conflict-affected countries. We are committed to pursuing our efforts to strengthen the women and peace and security agenda.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“We are committed to working with global partners for the sustainable use, conservation and management of our marine resources to accelerate our socioeconomic development. The effective implementation of the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea is imperative to harnessing sustainable utilization of ocean resources. In that regard, I also call upon Member States to work closely to bridge the gaps and conclude the much- needed international instrument on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction. We are fully committed to complete disarmament, including the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. We ratified the landmark Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in 2019. We have consistently implemented our commitment to peacekeeping operations.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“There is no better way than harnessing the potentials of science, technology and innovation. We are witnessing how frontier technologies are rapidly changing the world. It is imperative that everyone, everywhere gets fair and equal access to these technologies. The burgeoning digital divide must be bridged. Sixteen countries, including Bangladesh, are now on track to graduate from the list of least developed countries. However, the evolving global crises have posed serious challenges to our sustainable graduation. We appeal to development partners for enhanced and tailored support. We welcome the Doha Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries in that regard. After the peaceful settlement of maritime boundary issues with neighbouring countries, the blue economy has opened a new horizon for the development of Bangladesh.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“We are ready to support other vulnerable countries to develop their own prosperity plans. I call on world leaders to promote inclusive climate actions. Migrants continue to face precarious situations in their migration journeys and are denied their rights. To overcome that situation, we must enhance global partnership and solidarity. The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration and its Progress Declaration give us an excellent road map in that regard. Today complex global crises have reversed decades of development gains of many developing countries. The realization of the 2030 Agenda appears to be a farfetched dream for many of them at this moment. They need targeted support in areas that are severely impacted, including health, education, decent jobs and agriculture.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“That will ensure at least 1.23 per cent growth in our national income. The impact of climate change is one of the biggest threats to humankind. In the past, we have seen a vicious cycle of promises being made and broken. We must now change this course. In Bangladesh, we have led many transformative measures to tackle the perilous impacts of climate change, consistent with the implementation of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. During our presidency of the Climate Vulnerable Forum, we launched the Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan, which is aimed at putting Bangladesh on a sustainable trajectory from vulnerability to resilience and climate prosperity. Our national plans and policies on climate change and natural disaster have been made gender sensitive.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“The coverage of the existing social safety net has been expanded to ensure the social and financial security of destitute women, widows, the elderly, persons with disabilities, third gender people and other vulnerable segments of society. Currently, about 10.7 million people are receiving direct benefits under the social safety net. Improved physical infrastructure serves as the foundation for a strong economic structure. That is why we are building massive sustainable infrastructure, including underwater tunnels, elevated expressways and mass rapid transit systems. Recently, we have added the Padma Multipurpose Bridge, a self-funded asset, to our road communications system. It will facilitate Bangladesh’s local and international trade and enhance regional connectivity.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Bangladesh has achieved significant progress in universal primary education, food security, the reduction of maternal and child mortality, gender equality, women’s empowerment and so on. The literacy rate has increased from 50 per cent to 75 per cent in the past decade. We have placed great emphasis on ensuring an information technology-based education system. Our infant mortality rate has declined to 21 per 1,000 live births, and the maternal mortality rate has decreased to 173 per 100,000 live births. The average life expectancy of our people is now more than 73 years. We have paid special attention to the most vulnerable people in society so that no one is left behind.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Earlier, we achieved GDP growth of over 7 per cent for three consecutive years. Even during the pandemic, the economy of Bangladesh expanded by 6.94 per cent in the fiscal year 2020-2021. However, as a result of the Russia-Ukraine war, economic sanctions and counter-sanctions, there has been a supply chain disruption and exorbitant price hikes for fuel, food and consumer goods. That has put economies like ours under tremendous pressure. Inflation has been increased. We are taking various initiatives to overcome this situation. In 2026, Bangladesh is going to graduate from least developed countries category to that of developing country. We are working to transform Bangladesh into a knowledge-based developed country by 2041 and building a prosperous and climate-resilient delta by 2100.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“We thank the World Health Organization and its COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access (COVAX) system and our partner countries for providing this vaccine. As of August, 100 per cent of the eligible population of Bangladesh had been vaccinated. We are working towards sustainable economic growth, creating equal opportunities for all and realizing an inclusive peaceful society and social harmony. Bangladesh is now one of the five fastest growing economies in the world. We are forty-first in terms of gross domestic product (GDP). We have reduced the poverty rate from 41 per cent to 20.5 per cent over the past decade. Our per capita income has tripled to $2,824 in just one decade. Before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, our GDP growth rate in fiscal year 2018-2019 was 8.15 per cent.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Bangabandhu believed that peace is the embodiment of the aspirations of all men and women in the world. As a result of war, human beings, especially women and children, suffer tremendously. Many people become refugees. Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have adopted strategies to contain the crisis, mainly focusing on three aspects. First, we expanded national health care to prevent the transmission and spread of the infection. Secondly, we have provided strategic fiscal stimulus to safeguard our economy. Thirdly, we have secured people’s livelihoods. Those initiatives have helped reduce the number of deaths due to the pandemic as well as reduce public sufferings. Vaccination is the key to our safe transition from the pandemic.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Bangladesh has been pursuing that principle of non-alignment since its independence. In his maiden address to the Assembly on 25 September 1974, he said: “Our total commitment to peace is born of the realization that only an environment of peace would enable us to enjoy the fruits of our hard- won national independence and to mobilize and concentrate all our energies and resources in combating the scourges of poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy and unemployment. “We therefore welcome every effort aimed at advancing the process of detente, relaxation of tension, limitation of armaments and the promotion of peaceful coexistence in every part of the world, whether in Asia, Africa, Europe or Latin America.” (A/PV.2243, p.160) That statement of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib is still equally relevant in the present global context.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“This year’s theme calls for united efforts to find ways to overcome those challenges and revitalize our economy to build a peaceful and sustainable world. To achieve that goal, we need to act collectively without delay. We believe that antagonism, like war, economic sanctions and counter-sanctions can never bring good to any nation. Mutual dialogue is the best way to resolve crises and disputes. In that context, I thank the Secretary-General for setting up the Global Crisis Response Group on Food, Energy and Finance. As a champion of the Group, I am working with other world leaders to identify a global solution commensurate with the gravity and depth of the current situation. The father of the nation of Bangladesh, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, formulated our foreign policy dictum “friendship to all, malice towards none”.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“I heartily congratulate Mr. Csaba Korosi on his election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy- seventh session. I assure him of my delegation’s full cooperation throughout the session. I also commend his predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Abdulla Shahid. I would like to express my deep appreciation to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for his strong commitment to making the United Nations more vibrant in its responsibilities. The theme of this year’s general debate is “A watershed moment: transformative solutions to interlocking challenges”. Our planet Earth today is plagued by multiple complex and multidimensional challenges, such as climate change, violence and conflict, and the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Since returning to Bangladesh, I have devoted my life to fulfilling the dream of my father, the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, for a happy and prosperous golden Bangladesh. I have faced death threats multiple times, and I have been imprisoned multiple times, but I have never stopped. My only goal is to fulfil the dream of my father to establish a golden Bangladesh. I shall continue to do so as long as I live. God willing, the people of Bangladesh will lead prosperous lives. May Bangladesh live forever.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“It was in the early morning of 15 August 1975 that a band of renegade killers ruthlessly assassinated my father, the father of the nation and then-President of Bangladesh, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman; my loving mother, Sheikh Fazilutunnesa Mujib; my three brothers, the freedom fighter Captain Sheikh Kamal, the freedom fighter Lieutenant Sheikh Jamal and 10-year-old Sheikh Russell; and my paternal uncle, the freedom fighter Sheikh Abu Naser. Eighteen of my close family members were brutally murdered. My younger sister, Sheikh Rehana, and I survived the carnage as we were abroad at the time. For six years we were in exile, suffering from the agony of losing near and dear ones. Nevertheless, my struggle continued.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“It has also put a spotlight on the critical need for global solidarity and collaboration in order to launch an effective COVID-19 pandemic response. We must demonstrate our ability to work and act together on common issues and create space for new partnerships and solutions. That must start right here at the United Nations, with Member States across regions rising above narrow political interests. Only then can we pursue any meaningful collaboration towards a resilient and inclusive recovery. At this critical juncture, the United Nations stands as our best hope. Let us join hands to keep that hope alive. Before I conclude, I wish to humbly remind this organ, which was established to ensure peace and justice around the world, that I am still seeking justice for the brutal massacre of my family 46 years ago.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Despite the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic, our peacekeepers serve in some of the most difficult circumstances across the globe, with the utmost dedication and professionalism. The international community must do all it can to ensure their safety and security. With respect to our constitutional obligation, we have always been a steadfast supporter of complete disarmament. We firmly believe that the ultimate guarantee of international peace and security lies in the total elimination of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. It was that conviction that led us to ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which entered into force earlier this year. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the fore the inadequacy of the global response to tackle emergencies.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“We firmly believe that it is incumbent upon the people of Afghanistan to rebuild their country and decide the course of their future themselves. Bangladesh stands ready to continue to work with them and the international community in order to ensure the socioeconomic development of the people of Afghanistan. Peace remains a pre-eminent focus of our foreign policy. As a sponsor of the flagship Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace, we remain deeply committed to creating a peaceful society. Threats of terrorism and violent extremism jeopardize peace and security in many parts of the world. We therefore maintain a zero-tolerance policy in that regard. As a leading peacekeeping nation, we are proud of our contribution to global peace.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“We have also included all eligible Rohingyas in the national vaccination drive in order to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the camps. I would like to reiterate that the crisis was created in Myanmar and that its solution lies in Myanmar. The international community must work constructively for a permanent solution of the crisis through the safe, sustainable and dignified return of the Rohingyas to their homes in Rakhine state. Their successful return will require the full support of the international community. We expect the leadership of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to step up its ongoing efforts, and the international community must back the accountability processes in place. We envision a peaceful, stable and prosperous South Asia.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“We urge migrant-receiving countries to treat them fairly and protect their jobs, health and well-being during these trying times. Sixthly, the Rohingya crisis is now in its fifth year, yet not a single forcibly displaced Myanmar national has been repatriated to Myanmar. Despite the uncertainty created by the recent political developments in Myanmar, we expect the international community to provide enhanced focus and active support so that a durable solution to that crisis will be found. Myanmar must create the conditions conducive to the return of displaced persons. We are ready to work with the international community on that compelling priority. For our part, to facilitate the temporary stay of the forcibly displaced Myanmar national Rohingyas in Bangladesh, we have relocated some of them to Bhasan Char.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“We look forward to receiving more support from our development partners for an incentive-based graduation structure in order to motivate and incentivize sustainable graduation. As one of the Co-Chairs of the Preparatory Committee for the Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, we expect that a concrete outcome of the Doha conference will be the enabling of more countries to sustainably graduate from the LDC category. Fifthly, migrants have been front-line contributors during the pandemic as essential workers, providing health-care and other emergency services. Yet many of them have been particularly hard-hit due to loss of jobs, salary cuts, lack of access to health and other social services and forcible return.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Millions of students in low-income countries did not have the resources and technologies to join remote-learning facilities, which jeopardized decades of gains in enrolment and literacy rates, among other achievements. We need a global plan to prioritize education recovery by investing in digital tools and services, ensuring access to the Internet and building the capacities of teachers. We also call on the United Nations system to rally partnerships and resources to make that happen. Fourthly, despite the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are on track to graduate from the LDC category. Nevertheless, the pandemic has jeopardized the graduation prospects and aspirations of many countries.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“As Chair of the Climate Vulnerable Forum and the Vulnerable Twenty Group of Ministers of Finance, we launched the Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan — Decade 2030, outlining a transformative agenda from climate vulnerability to climate prosperity. The upcoming twenty-sixth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to be held in Glasgow, provides us with an opportunity to rally support for new and inclusive ideas in that regard. Let us not miss out on that opportunity. Thirdly, the pandemic has severely disrupted our education system. According to UNICEF, close to half of the world’s students were affected by partial or full school closures.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“The immediate transfer of vaccine technologies could be a means to ensure vaccine equity. Bangladesh is ready to produce vaccines on a mass scale if the technical know-how is shared with us and a patent waiver is granted. Secondly, the pandemic has disproportionately impacted climate-vulnerable countries. The report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Working Group I provided a grim scenario of our planet. Unless immediate measures are taken, the devastating impacts of climate change will be irreversible. No country, rich or poor, is immune to the destructive effects. We therefore call upon the rich and industrialized countries to cut emissions, compensate for the loss and damage and ensure adequate financing and technology transfer for adaptation and resilience-building.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“First, for a COVID-19-free world, we must ensure universal and affordable access to vaccines for people across the world. At the previous session of the General Assembly (see A/75/PV.12), I urged the Assembly to treat COVID-19 vaccines as a global public good. That was echoed by many other leaders. Yet those calls remain largely unheeded. Instead, we have seen growing vaccines divides between the rich and the poor nations. According to the World Bank, 84 per cent of vaccine doses have so far gone to people in high and upper-middle income countries, while the low-income countries have received less than 1 per cent. Such vaccine inequality must be urgently addressed. We cannot chart out a sustainable recovery and be safe by leaving millions behind. I therefore reiterate my call to ensure equitable and affordable access to vaccines for all.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Our well- timed intervention and our people’s resilience helped us to achieve more than 5 per cent economic growth in 2020. Since time immemorial, humankind has faced the onslaughts of nature and pestilence, as well as human- made conflicts and disasters. Yet humankind has survived those monumental challenges with hope in their hearts and belief in themselves. The pandemic is another such crisis, out of which many inspiring stories of human survival and magnanimity have been born. Sadly however, the malaise seems likely to be here for a while. Therefore, as we have done in the past, we must come forth with fresh, inclusive and global ideas to fight that common enemy. Let me highlight a few specific issues in that regard.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“That is mainly because of our health-care system, which has been strengthened from the grass-roots level. In addition, we adopted a timely, multipronged, multi-stakeholder approach to tackling its challenges. From the very beginning, we took some firm decisions to balance between lives and livelihoods. Those decisions included 28 stimulus packages, to the tune of $14.6 billion, or 4.44 per cent of our GDP, to keep our economy afloat. We have allocated $1.61 billion for vaccines in the current budget cycle. Notably, we paid serious attention to the most vulnerable sectors of our society, such as the ultra-poor, the disabled, the elderly, returnee migrants and vulnerable women. At the outbreak of the pandemic last year, we immediately distributed cash and other kinds of assistance to nearly 40 million people.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Our Digital Bangladesh initiative has stimulated transformative impacts on socioeconomic development, education, disaster risk reduction, women’s empowerment and so on. Our social safety net programmes have also significantly expanded. As for the Sustainable Development Goal Index score, the Sustainable Development Report 2021 identified Bangladesh as having progressed the most since 2015. Such progress was due to the heavy investment in women’s advancement and empowerment, which contributed to our transformative development. We achieved the milestone of graduation from a least developed country (LDC) this year. Our vision is to transform Bangladesh into a knowledge-based society and a developed country by 2041 and a prosperous and resilient delta by 2100. The impact of COVID-19 on Bangladesh has been much less than feared.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“We are now among the five fastest-growing economies in the world, ranking forty-first in terms of gross domestic product (GDP). Over the past decade, we have reduced the poverty rate from 31.5 per cent to 20.5 per cent. Our per-capita income jumped more than threefold, to $2,227, in only a decade. Our foreign currency reserve has reached an all-time high at $48 billion. Bangladesh has made impressive progress in the socioeconomic sphere and women’s empowerment over the past decade. The infant mortality rate was reduced to 23.67 per 1,000; the maternal mortality rate to 173 per 100,000 live births; and the average longevity of people rose to 73 years. According to the World Economic Forum, since 2014 Bangladesh has ranked seventh, ahead of its regional neighbours, with regard to the political empowerment of women.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“International cooperation and the sharing of the resources and technology could, no doubt, make our task less onerous and reduce the cost in human suffering” (A/PV.2243, para.23). He called for building a world free of economic inequalities, social injustice, aggression and threats of nuclear war, which are as relevant today as they were 47 years ago. We therefore continue to lend our voice and leadership to all issues related to building an inclusive and equal society. Our calls for vaccine equality, our firm position against any form of injustice, such as against the Palestinian people, the resolution of the Rohingya crisis and promoting climate justice are a few examples of our global commitment. We have been working hard to fulfil the unfinished dream of our Father of the Nation.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)