PM’s UNGA tour ‘highly successful and fruitful’

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s four-day visit to the US to attend the UN General Assembly was highly successful and fruitful, said Mahdi Amin, his adviser.

“Through this visit, he has taken Bangladesh to a higher position on the global stage,” he said while briefing reporters at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on their return from the 81st session of the UNGA in New York.

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During the four-day visit, Tarique participated in a total of 30 programmes, including 11 bilateral meetings, and eight major UN events; he delivered speeches at seven of them.

In each of these discussions, Bangladesh’s sovereignty, national interests and the welfare of its people were given priority, Mahdi said, adding that energy security was a key issue in discussions with the leaders of Middle Eastern countries.

Recalling Bangladesh’s firm position on the Palestine issue, Mahdi, also the spokesman for the Prime Minister’s Office saBangladesh staged a walkout in when the Israeli prime minister rose to speak immediately after Tarique Rahman’s address at the UN, said Mahdi, also the spokesman for the Prime Minister’s Office.

“This represents Bangladesh’s firm position on the Palestine issue.”

Fruitful discussions were held with ASEAN member states and international organisations working on human rights and displaced people to resolve the Rohingya crisis.

“Every country and organisation has pledged to stand by Bangladesh in resolving the crisis.”

Asked about the Boeing deal, he said the agreement was signed after giving the highest priority to Bangladesh’s interests and was not a decision imposed on the country.

An important memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Strategic Civil Nuclear Cooperation was signed between the governments of the two countries during the visit.

Responding to a question about the recent razing of a healthcare centre in Mirpur, Mahdi said the government is acting swiftly whenever isolated or sporadic incidents occur.

“We were in the UN during the incident. As far as I know, nine people were arrested very quickly following the attack.”

The government’s position is clear: if anyone uses the name of any government official or the name or identity of anyone associated with the party, the law will take its own course with the utmost strictness, and arrests will be made as quickly as possible following an investigation.

“We are already seeing that progress, and inshAllah, we believe that the law enforcement agencies and those responsible at the home ministry will take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that the law is enforced more swiftly,” he added.