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

“In that period we have lost the precious lives of 92 valiant soldiers. Our present troop contribution has made Bangladesh number one among countries contributing troops to United Nations peacekeeping operations. Sadly, despite that involvement, our presence in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) 15 10-55109 remains negligible, as is our voice in planning strategies of peacekeeping missions. In all fairness, we should have proportionate representation in DPKO. Bangladesh has been adversely affected by global warming, food insecurity, population displacement and diminished biodiversity, among other problems, and is faced with serious threats caused by climate change and global warming. Although our share of carbon gas emissions is negligible, we are their worst victim.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“Clearly, our rejection of terrorism is total, as is our determination to eliminate it in all its forms. I want to unequivocally state that terrorism will not be allowed on the soil of Bangladesh, and that is precisely why we are a party to all terrorism-related United Nations conventions and accord them our full support. Our firm policy against terrorism and our love for peace led me to negotiate the 1997 Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord, thus ending decades of internal conflict, and a peaceful resolution of the violent uprising of our paramilitary border forces in 2009. In the international sphere, our commitment to peace, which is essential for development, is reflected in our unflinching support for United Nations peacekeeping missions. Since 1988 Bangladesh has sent 97,000 troops to 24 countries as part of 32 such missions.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“At that time thousands of our party workers, supporters and followers of the religious minority who voted for our secular party were mercilessly killed in systematic terrorist acts of the BNP/Jamaat-e-Islami alliance Government. The most audacious act was the dastardly open grenade attack on 21 August 2004 directed against me at a public rally being held to protest those terrorist attacks and killings. By the time a dozen grenades had taken their toll, 24 innocent people, including our party’s Secretary for Women’s Affairs, Mrs. Ivy Rahman — the wife of our current President — lay dead, and over 500 people were seriously injured. There have also been attempts on members of my family, but never have we bowed before the forces of terror. As victims of repeated terrorist attacks, my family and I know this menace well.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“That action is in accord with the rule of law as reflected in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which we have ratified and which is aimed at bringing perpetrators of war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity to justice. I believe that only justice can heal the unforgivable, deadly wrongs of the past. Here, I sadly recall the evil act of terror on 15 August 1975 that took the life of my father and the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and 18 members of my family, including my mother, sisters-in-law and my three brothers, one of whom was only 10 years old. Even I have been a target of a series of assassination attempts ever since my return home from exile in 1981. The most horrendous period was when our secular democratic party, the Awami League, was in opposition, from 2001 to 2006.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“That has also been in consonance with the objectives of the United Nations, which remains the last abode where the hopes and aspirations of the hapless people of the world can be fulfilled. Bangladesh has also been supporting United Nations efforts to establish democracy, human rights, peace and security, as well as taking effective steps to combat terrorism and external threats worldwide. I, too, am committed to ensuring this continuity. Bangladesh has established an international crimes tribunal to try persons responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity, including genocide, arson and rape, committed during our war of liberation in 1971 and immediately thereafter.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“I warmly congratulate Mr. Deiss on his well-deserved election as President of the General Assembly at its sixty-fifth session. I believe his wise and experienced leadership will bring great success to the Assembly’s proceedings. I also congratulate Mr. Ali Abdussalam Treki for his laudable contribution as Assembly President in its sixty-fourth session. I also thank Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his tireless service to the United Nations and to world peace. Bangladesh is a secular, progressive nation fulfilling the promise of democracy, good governance, human rights and the rule of law that were made by my father — the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the greatest Bengali of all times — from this podium 36 years ago (see A/PV.2243).”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“In reaching out to one another, we will leave a harmonious world for our children and future generations thereafter. May Bangladesh live forever! Long live the United Nations! The Acting President: On behalf of the General Assembly, I wish to thank the Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh for the statement she has just made.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Given the rich heritage of the Bangla language and its singular place as a symbol of people’s faith in the power of languages to sustain cultures and indeed the identity of nations, I seek the support of the membership of the United Nations General Assembly for its acceptance as an official language of the United Nations. At present we are witnessing a rapidly changing world as a result of climate change, economic turmoil and terrorism. It is crystal clear to those who wish to open their eyes that we all belong to a global village where we must live and work together. I therefore call upon all States to discard short-sighted discords and adopt a common resolve in facing today’s grim challenges. Let us share each other’s responsibilities, burdens and prosperity. After all, at stake is our common and shared future.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“The International Mother Language Day was adopted by UNESCO, at the initiative of Bangladesh, in recognition of 21 February 1952, when language martyrs died for their mother tongue Bangla. Now every year on that day UNESCO celebrates all languages of the world. The Bangla language is spoken by over 250 million people worldwide, primarily in Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal. The Bangladesh Parliament therefore recently adopted a resolution requesting the United Nations to declare Bangla as one of its official languages.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“As a peaceful nation involved in United Nations peacekeeping efforts, Bangladesh is naturally opposed to terrorism. Bangladesh is a party to all terrorism- related United Nations Conventions, which is a testament to our commitment to fighting that scourge. We categorically reject the claims of those who cloak themselves in the rhetoric of Islam or any other faith to justify violence. Nationwide, we have taken stern measures against militant groups and their leaders. We are firmly opposed to violence and terrorism; instead, we promote peace across the world. Bangladesh, in sessions of the General Assembly, has spearheaded the flagship resolution on the culture of peace. At last year’s session of the General Assembly, the resolution was sponsored by 124 nations.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Since 1988, Bangladesh has been involved in 32 United Nations peacekeeping operations in 24 different countries, contributing approximately 83,000 personnel. Today, Bangladesh is ranked second with 9,567 peacekeepers serving in various United Nations missions. With pride I say that, throughout the years, 84 of our valiant peacekeepers have laid down their lives for the cause of peace under the auspices of the United Nations. Sadly, despite our contributions and sacrifices, Bangladesh does not have proportionate representation in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, nor does it have a say in the planning and strategy design of peacekeeping missions. Indeed, this situation calls for rectification on the basis of proportional representation in all fairness.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“The economic turmoil has adversely affected employment at the national level and worldwide. The worst affected are the LDCs, both domestically and in terms of employment abroad. Remittances constitute a significant part of their gross domestic income. However, recent restrictions on new admissions of migrant workers and, even worse, their repatriation to their home countries have resulted in socio-economic instability in many countries. Therefore, recovery measures should be designed in such a manner so as not to adversely affect employment opportunities of immigrant workers from developing countries. Bangladesh is proud of its outstanding role as a major troop-contributing country serving the United Nations in maintaining peace and security worldwide.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Surely, fiscal stimulus packages would help support global demand and aid recovery. However, liberal trade concessions by developed countries, such as duty- and quota-free market access and trade capacity-building for developing countries, particularly LDCs, would rescue them from dire straits. The early 09-52586 24 conclusion of the Doha Development Round of the World Trade Organization trade negotiations would be an important collective stimulus package for our economies. It is also the time for the countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to fulfil their official development assistance commitments to contribute 0.7 per cent of their gross national income to developing countries and 0.2 per cent specifically to the least developed countries by 2010, as reaffirmed in the Brussels Programme of Action.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Bangladesh is faced with a sharp reduction in exports, falling prices for primary commodities, declining remittances and a severe credit crunch, leading to the contraction of our economic growth, rising unemployment and poverty. The crisis is due to years of neglect of equity and justice, including a fundamentally unfair international financial structure that never changed with the needs of the times. The need of the hour is the immediate restructuring of the global financial and economic system. The Bretton Woods institutions, namely, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, must accommodate a stronger presence of developing countries, especially the LDCs. Indeed, a voting weight proportionate to share capital has proved unsuited to the Bretton Woods system.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“The Copenhagen Conference should seriously consider his proposal. The Conference must also be aware that climate-change mitigation does not restrict the steps taken to alleviate energy poverty, and that the post-2012 agreement should incorporate predictable and legally binding commitments to address the adaptation needs of low- lying coastal States, small island countries and LDCs. The world is caught in an economic recession, the likes of which has not been seen since the Great Depression of the 1930s. The economically vulnerable countries, such as the LDCs, which are not responsible for the crisis, have become its worst victims.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Bangladesh would, of course, make a strong call at the Conference to consider a new legal regime to protect climate migrants under the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change that ensures the social, cultural and economic rehabilitation of migrants displaced through climate change. On the vital issue of climate change, the recent bold and courageous proposal of Prime Minister Gordon Brown of the United Kingdom has caught the imagination of States at the forefront of dealing with climate change. Among his proposals, the proposed fund to support the adaptation and mitigation programmes of countries affected by climate change has, in particular, won our support. It could be the beginning of a systematic flow of funds towards improving the adversely changing environmental conditions around the globe.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“They would also stand to lose their identity, nationality and their very existence and, in some cases, their countries. In December this year, we will meet in Copenhagen for the fifteenth session of the Conference of the Parties and, therefore, it is critical that the outcome of the Conference reflect a commitment to assured, adequate and easily accessible funding for adaptation and to affordable, eco-friendly technology transfer to developing countries, particularly to the LDCs, as well as specific commitments to deeper cuts in greenhouse emissions.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“With the rise in sea level, the excavated silt could build, raise and fortify embankments, increase green belts and help create elevated flat ground for the homes of the displaced, thereby discouraging them from moving to cities. Meanwhile, 14,000 cyclone shelters have been constructed, and more are on the way. Those activities would obviously entail huge costs. A climate-change trust fund has been established with our own resources, but in order to implement the projects the assistance of the international community is imperative. Rapid and unplanned urbanization, occupational dislocation and lack of food, water and land security are some of the consequences of climate change. The affected communities would not only lose their homes.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“It is alarming that a metre’s rise in the sea level would inundate 18 per cent of our land mass, directly impacting 11 per cent of our people. Scientific estimates indicate that, of the 1 billion people expected to be displaced worldwide by 2050 as a result of climate-change factors, one in every 45 people in the world and one in every seven in Bangladesh, would be a victim. Bangladesh has therefore decided to take some measures immediately. Dredging all major rivers is at the top of the agenda for adaptation to climate change. Capital dredging projects will keep rivers in their natural course, deepen them to hold more water, restrict flooding, reduce flood damage, reclaim inundated arable land and keep them navigable. Maintenance dredging would then ensure the sustained regulated flow of the rivers.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“For some time now, climate change has been adversely impacting our low-lying, deltaic, monsoonal country. Although Bangladesh’s own contribution to climate change is negligible, it is one of its worst victims. Erratic floods, cyclones, droughts and earthquakes have been disrupting our agriculture and challenging our water resources, as well as our health, energy and urban planning. In particular, cyclones battering the coastal areas have taken countless lives, and sudden floods have uprooted families by the thousands and continue to do so every year. River bank 23 09-52586 erosion, landslides, soil degradation and deforestation are causing millions of climate-change refugees. They already greatly affect our densely populated cities.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“On the international level, at the World Summit on Food Security to be held in Rome in November 2009, Bangladesh will be seeking a global agreement for the development of agriculture and the attainment of food self-sufficiency in developing countries, particularly the least developed countries (LDCs). Substantial financial contributions from developed countries, an agreement on sustainable agricultural policies, the transfer of technology, equitable and fair trade rules for food and agricultural products with special preferential treatment for LDCs, and the removal of agricultural subsidies in the developed world will also be sought, in order to address the challenges we face in ensuring the food security critical for advancing our development agenda.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Currently, over a half of our budgetary resources are allocated to reducing the poverty level from 45 per cent to 15 per cent by 2021. Food security has always been our Government’s prime concern. During our earlier term in power, my Government’s agricultural programmes made Bangladesh self-sufficient in food, for which the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization presented us with its prestigious Ceres Award. After the change in government, Bangladesh returned to being in food deficit. This time around, our Government has adopted a national food policy to ensure sustained food security for all, enhance people’s access to food, particularly for children, women and the elderly, reduce food prices, increase food production by reducing the price of fuel, fertilizer and irrigation, and ensure supply of farm inputs.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“A wide range of safety nets have been put in place, such as cash and food transfer programmes, micro-credit and other special poverty alleviation programmes, and special programmes for minorities, the marginalized, the disabled, the physically challenged and the underprivileged. In our earlier period in power, I had introduced an old age pension, a pension for distressed women, Shanti Nibash or old people’s homes, a Karmasangsthan Bank to provide earnings to unemployed youth through productive job creation, and Ashrayan or homes on Government- owned land for homeless people, as well as sustainable jobs. An innovative programme instituted by my current Government seeks to provide employment to at least one member of each family.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Regarding infant mortality, our plan is to reduce the infant mortality rate from 54 per thousand live births to 15 per thousand. Our plan is also to extend child immunization programmes to reach 100 per cent of the population during our present term. During our last period in power, we initiated programmes to establish one community health-care centre for every 6,000 people, in order to bring primary health-care services to people’s homes. Only 4,000 of the first phase of 18,000 could be completed during the period we were in power prior to the changeover of government, and the programme was terminated. We are now reactivating the programme. Bangladesh is often cited for its social safety programmes.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“As for the Millennium Development Goals, Bangladesh has been successful in removing gender disparities in the net enrolment of boys and girls in primary and secondary schools. Our Government is now planning to provide free tuition for girls up through the secondary level. Since children are our future, our Government runs a food-for-education/cash-for-education programme providing food rations to poor primary school children in rural areas. Our aim is to achieve full literacy by 2014. Health is another major sector where our Government is striving to make progress. During our last period in power, we formulated a national health policy whose main thrust was to ensure basic health care for all without discrimination. A national strategy for maternal health has also been adopted, which provides quality services for safe motherhood.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Consequently, my Government has embarked on achieving a digital Bangladesh by implementing its Vision 2021 election manifesto. Our goal is to transform Bangladesh into “Sonar Bangla” or “Bengal of Gold”, as envisioned by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Despite all odds, Bangladesh is making great strides in its socio-economic development. Education, particularly for girls, is a priority of our Government, receiving the largest single share of our annual budget. Our Government has pledged to ensure 100 per cent student enrolment at the primary level by 2010. Accordingly, primary education has been made free — 09-52586 22 with free books — and compulsory for all children. Provision has been made for free education for girls up to the twelfth grade, and stipends are provided for girls in rural secondary schools.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“But the will of the people of Bangladesh and the good will of the international community permitted my return home and the holding of nation-wide elections on 29 December 2008. Universally acclaimed as free, fair and credible, and carried out under the supervision of United Nations and international observers, the elections heralded democracy in Bangladesh. The resounding victory of my party, the Awami League, reflected the people’s preference for democratic ideals, secularism and an outright denial of all forms of extremism. The elections included record high participation by young voters and women. The huge mandate given by the voters to my Government also entrusted it with an equally huge responsibility for delivering on people’s expectations.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“Thirty-five years ago, the father of our nation and my father, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, in his first address to the General Assembly from this rostrum, expressed his gratitude to all who supported our struggle for independence. He also declared his commitment to democracy, good governance, human rights and the rule of law. It is also my proud privilege and great honour to extend the same commitment here today on behalf of our country. As members may know, for many years following the brutal assassination of Bangabandhu and 18 other members of our family, on 15 August 1975, by misguided armed mutineers, Bangladesh was ruled by dictators and quasi-dictators. Aside from a period in the 1990s, the country continued to suffer from unconstitutional rule, particularly in the most recent years. Even I was sent into forced exile.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“With your permission, Sir, I would like to speak in Bangla, my mother tongue. I would like to warmly congratulate the President on his well-deserved election to preside over the General Assembly at its sixty-fourth session. I am confident that his wise and able leadership will guide the Assembly’s deliberations to a successful conclusion. I would also like to express my deep appreciation to His Excellency Mr. Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann, President of the General Assembly at its sixty-third session, for his sound leadership in successfully steering the Assembly’s work during his tenure. I should also like to pay tribute to Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon for his tireless and dedicated efforts to reinvigorate the United Nations.”
2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)
“He has made remarkable achievements in the short time that he has been at the helm of the United Nations. He fully deserves our wholehearted praise and support. There is no denying the fact that the world needs the United Nations. But we must remember that it is equally true that the United Nations needs the world. All countries must do their best to fulfil their commitments to make the Organization strong and durable. This has been the endeavour of Bangladesh for the last 25 years. May Bangladesh live forever. Long live the United Nations.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“They addressed problems which were beyond the capacity of individual countries to solve and which called for wide-ranging international cooperation. I believe that the international community should ensure coordinated and integrated follow-up for effective and full implementation of the decisions of those conferences. In Bangladesh, we have taken concrete measures in this regard. We need to ensure that the United Nations can continue to meet the evolving needs of humankind in the next century. For that, we must have an effective and efficient United Nations. I am happy that Bangladesh has been at the forefront of the adoption of these steps at the United Nations. In this regard, I would like to put on record our great appreciation of the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Unless we ensure that citizens live a life of dignity, where their rights are secure, we cannot have a just and peaceful world. This is equally true for communities and nations. In our region, we have nurtured the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), which has taken many initiatives to improve the lives of the peoples of the region. At the subregional level, we are cooperating with Bhutan, Nepal and India in the South Asian Development Quadrangle. The United Nations is the only universal body that deals with all fields of human activity. It has been a catalyst in many initiatives and has bettered the lives of people around the world. In the 1990s the United Nations convened a series of global conferences to address major challenges facing humankind.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We consider peace to be a fundamental human right to be attained, sustained, promoted and carried forward at all times. Without development there can be no peace, and without cooperation, no development. There is no option, then, but to have genuine cooperation between the developed and the developing countries for the eradication of poverty and the fulfilment of the people’s aspirations for development. Bangladesh has been the coordinator of the least developed countries for the last two decades. We believe strongly that special measures should be taken by the international community to help these countries in their efforts to develop and to participate fully in the global economy. Human rights is the essence of peace.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We have promulgated laws and set up institutional mechanisms to promote women’s rights, to ensure that they have choices and opportunities, that victims are given redress and that stern punishments are meted out to rapists for their deeds. The effectiveness of microcredit in empowering women has been phenomenal. We have also brought women into decision-making at all levels. During the last local Government elections, more than 14,000 women were elected to office. In our foreign policy, we adhere to the principle of friendship towards all. It is a constitutional requirement to base our international relations on the principles set out in the United Nations Charter. How do we address the critical issues of the new millennium?”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We have given priority to the various social sectors, including education, health care, poverty alleviation and population growth control, and we have allocated more than 30 per cent of the budget to the social sectors with the objective of poverty alleviation, empowerment and human development. Our programmes include shelter and sustainable livelihood through the Ashrayon programme, housing for the poor, health care, education for the poor, microcredit, old-age pensions, income transfers to destitute women and targeted poverty alleviation programmes. This effort towards the economic emancipation of the people is our preoccupation now: we 15 want to build the golden Bengal dreamt of by the father of our nation. We have adopted specific policies to ensure equality between women and men.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Peace now reigns in the area: the former insurgents surrendered their arms and returned to peaceful lives; all 63,000 refugees from across the border have returned; and there have been no incidents of violence there since the signing of the accord. We have no illusions that the key to our development and progress is directly linked to investment in our people. Our efforts are now being directed towards transforming our vast human resources into a productive force. Our development programmes are targeted on rapid poverty alleviation. We have adopted policies to strengthen the socio-economic infrastructure of our country.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We have taken steps to foster peace regionally. Immediately after it came into office, my Government took the initiative to solve the Ganges water-sharing issue with our neighbour, India. We solved this long outstanding issue successfully in December 1996. I visited India and Pakistan following the nuclear tests in South Asia and urged that we all must do our utmost to deserve peace in our region and devote our limited resources to economic and social development. An accord was concluded in December 1997 between the Government and representatives of the tribal people living in the south-eastern part of our country without third-party mediation. The accord brought peace after more than two decades to the strife-torn area of the Chittagong Hill Tracts.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“To institutionalize democracy and make it sustainable, we have ensured the people’s right to vote by introducing the institution of a non-party, caretaker Government to be formed three months before each election. My struggle now is to guarantee the people’s right to food; in other words, economic emancipation to a sustainable livelihood. I am driven by a desire to create a just environment, not only for my own people but also for all of humankind. The creation of the United Nations was aimed at sparing the world from the scourge of another world war and to ensure that human beings are guaranteed their basic rights. During its more than 50 years of existence, it has stood the test of time. National and internationally, we have taken peace and development as two vital and integrally linked objectives.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“I began to struggle from exile against the autocratic rule. After coming home in 1991, I stepped up that struggle for the restoration of people’s right to vote and their right to freedom and to food. I was harassed and arrested by the authoritarian regimes, and several attempts were made on my life. But nothing could deter me either from my path or from my goal, the restoration of democracy. The movement grew in strength, and finally victory was on the side of the people. Today democracy has taken firm root in Bangladesh for all time to come. We have strengthened the parliamentary system. Prime Minister’s question time has been introduced. The session is televised and broadcast live.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Now is the time for donors to recognize the commitment we have made and the success we have achieved by increasing resources for these valuable programmes. Within months of his historic address to this world body in 1974, my father and the Father of our Nation, along with my mother and three brothers, the youngest one being 10 years of age, were brutally assassinated by a group of murderous and misguided military officers on 15 August 1975. Amongst those killed were my uncles, my two sisters-in-law, two cousins and a host of other relatives. My sister and I were the only survivors, as we were out of the country at the time. Coups and counter-coups followed one another at regular intervals, leading to military rule of one sort or another. I was forced to live in exile from the late 1970s to the early 1980s.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Bangladesh has noted with great concern the recent decline in commitments by donor countries to the United Nations development system, and to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in particular. Bangladesh attaches great value to multilateral assistance as a reliable and trusted source of impartial expertise and urges donor countries to meet the commitments made in the Executive Board of UNDP for the multi-year funding framework, enabling countries such as Bangladesh to plan development programmes accordingly. Recalling the recent statement of the G-8 in Cologne, Bangladesh wishes to note with pride that it is already utilizing over half of the country funds available from UNDP for programmes relating to improving governance, which are helping us to address fundamental constraints to faster development.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“In these 25 years we have seen the partnership between Bangladesh and the United Nations mature. From our early reconstruction needs for national development to steps for empowering people and establishing social justice, the United Nations has been with us. We have also been able to lend support to the strengthening of the Organization and have contributed in its efforts to eradicate poverty and disease, maintain peace and security and support the fulfilment of the rights of the oppressed and the subjugated. We sincerely hope that the development of cooperation between Bangladesh and the 14 United Nations agencies in our country will be expanded and strengthened in future years.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We were privileged to preside over the forty-first session of the General Assembly and to serve one term in a non-permanent seat on the Security Council. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman carried the torch of an indomitable people to the United Nations when he stood at this very rostrum before the General Assembly in 1974 and said, “The noble ideals enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations are the very ideals for which millions of our people have made the supreme sacrifice. I know that the souls of our martyrs join us in pledging that the Bangalee nation fully commits itself to the building of a world order in which the aspiration of all men for peace and justice will be realized.” (A/PV.2243, para. 2) Twenty-five years later, I am here to renew that pledge.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“His message on that day expressed the nation’s gratitude to the international community for standing by our people in the darkest days of oppression; to apprise the international community of our great struggle for freedom and self- determination; to articulate to the world our faith in democracy, justice, freedom and human rights; and to spell out the basic elements of our foreign policy. Despite the political upheavals in the country since then, none ventured to alter the foreign policy guidelines laid down by the Father of our Nation. We were thus able to contribute positively to the United Nations by serving in several important commissions and executive bodies in its system and participating actively in United Nations peacekeeping operations.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“I convey our sincerest thanks and gratitude to the Secretary-General and to all Member States for their support and assistance in helping us overcome the aftermath of the disastrous floods that hit our country last year. The magnitude of the disaster was unprecedented in our history. The support of the international community was a source of inspiration and encouragement to our people in facing the challenges of rehabilitation and reconstruction. I stand here today with pride and satisfaction. The Father of our Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, 25 years ago delivered our first address to the General Assembly as head of Government of the sovereign and independent State of Bangladesh.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“This year is very special to Bangladesh at the United Nations. It is the twenty-fifth anniversary of Bangladesh’s admission to this “Parliament of Man”. I bring greetings from the people of Bangladesh. It is gratifying to us that on this twenty-fifth anniversary, we have you, Sir, presiding over the General Assembly. You are a freedom fighter. You lead a country which was liberated in recent times, and yet, in its short membership in the United Nations, it has contributed so much to the work of the Organization. We convey our sincere appreciation to Foreign Minister Didier Opertti of Uruguay, our President during the last session, for his excellent work. I would also like to welcome the three new members of the General Assembly: Kiribati, Nauru and Tonga. We sense their joy and excitement, as we experienced 25 years ago.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)