Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday evening (local time) reached Washington DC, capital of the US. She left the Place of Residence, Lotte New York at 11:40 am Saturday (local time) and arrived in Washington DC by road at 6 pm. The Prime Minister will leave Washington DC for London, United Kingdom, on September 29. She will stay in London till October 3. Read: PM reaches Doha for Qatar Economic Forum 2023 After wrapping up her visit, the Prime Minister will leave London for home and is scheduled to reach Dhaka on October 4. The Prime Minister arrived in New York on September 17 to attend the UNGA. Read more: PM reaches Finland route to New York to attend UNGA

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday morning left New York for Washington DC, the US capital, after joining the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session and other high-level side and bilateral events. She left the Place of Residence, The Lotte New York at 11:40am by road, and is expected to reach Washington DC in the afternoon. The Prime Minister on September 29 will leave Washington DC for London, the capital city of United Kingdom. She will stay in London till October 3. After wrapping up her visit, the Prime Minister will leave London for home and is scheduled to reach Dhaka on October 4. The Prime Minister arrived in New York on September 17.  

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has reiterated that the country's next parliamentary election will be free, fair and credible. “InshAllah, there will be a free, fair and impartial elections in Bangladesh,” she said here on Friday. The prime minister said this while addressing a civic reception accorded to her at a hotel here. New York Metropolitan Awami League organised the reception on Friday evening. No one from outside should obstruct elections in Bangladesh: PM Hasina warns in New York The premier is now in New York to attend the 78th UNGA session. Hasina, also the chief of ruling Awami League, said that BNP doesn’t want election.  “Actually, does BNP want the election? How do they want the election? Who is their leader?,” she questioned. “Fugitive convict, money thief, arms smuggler, murderer, grenade launcher of August 21 (is their leader);  if this is the leader of a party then why should people vote for that party and him,” she wondered. PM Hasina seeks international support in five key areas for improving healthcare She mentioned that BNP didn’t get votes in the 2008 election as well as didn’t participate in the 2014 election.   She mentioned that BNP killed people by arson attacks in the name of preventing the election. “How many lives have been taken? If you still see the face of those burnt people; how terrible! It seems that those who did it despicable.” Regarding the upcoming elections due in first week of January, Hasina vowed to make it free, fair and impartial.  “People will vote correctly," she told the audience. World must learn from past mistakes to prevent another pandemic like Covid-19: PM Hasina tells high-level UN meet She said the people of Bangladesh have at least realised this that they got freedom by voting for boat (AL’s election symbol). She mentioned that the fate of the people has changed as a result of voting for this symbol, boat.  “The image of Bangladesh has been brightened all over the world,” she said. The prime minister called upon all not to pay heed to the false propaganda by vested quarters. “When world leaders today recognise (the success of Bangladesh), we shouldn’t need to pay heed to what a few scumbags are saying,” she said. She mentioned that those convicted, who committed various crimes, may have lost their jobs in different ways. “Now they’ve taken shelter in different countries of the world and are spreading slanders through different social media and apps to cover up their misdeeds," she said. Urging all to unmask the faces of slanderers, Hasina said that their characters should be exposed when they spread lies.  

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in her speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday reiterated that Bangladesh will continue to promote democracy and rule of law as per its constitution. “In this session today, I would like to unequivocally reiterate that Bangladesh will continue to promote democracy, rule of law and freedom of expression in line with Bangladesh’s constitution,” she said. The premier said this while addressing the general debate of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly at the UN headquarters. The premier delivered her speech for the 19th time at the UN general session. Like previous years, she delivered her address in Bangla following the footsteps of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu who had addressed the UNGA first in Bangla in 1974. Hasina said it needs to be ensured that the human rights issues are not politicised to put pressure on developing countries. Noting that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), she said “On this auspicious occasion, we must reinforce our commitment to our common humanity and take collective action to advance equality, justice and freedom for all human beings. At the same time, it is to be ensured that human rights are not politicised to put pressure on developing countries,” she added. She said Bangladesh’s Constitution guarantees fundamental human rights for all. “Over the last decade, significant reforms have been made to our legal system to ensure equal legal protection and access to justice for everyone. As a responsible State Bangladesh is fully committed to protecting and promoting the human rights,” she added. As an elected member of the Human Rights Council, Bangladesh is working with the fellow members states towards safeguarding all human rights of people around the world. Work collectively for peace instead of confrontation: PM tells world leaders The prime minister urged the world leaders to work collectively for enduring peace and economic prosperity for the future generations. “My appeal today is to all of you - to the leaders of the world, to shun the path of war and confrontation, and to work collectively for enduring peace, welfare for humankind and economic prosperity for our people and future generations,” she said. In her speech she focused on various issues like global economic crisis, global peace and stability, Rohingya crisis, climate change, 2030 sustainable global agenda (SDGs), human rights and the development of Bangladesh since 2009. Hasina said this year’s theme of the UNGA is very much relevant in the context of the volatility and complexity the world is facing currently. “People’s trust in the effectiveness and legitimacy of the international organization is gradually being eroded. As a result, our overall progress towards a peaceful and prosperous common future is faced with threats,” she said. She said the impacts of the pandemic, the effects of an existential climate crisis, and the wide ramifications of the war in Ukraine affecting global food, financial, and energy securities have greatly impeded the achievement of SDGs in developing countries. The PM deeply appreciated the UN 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,” she said. “We must make all efforts to collectively address the common challenges of humanity to secure a peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable future for all. And, for that, we must choose unity, solidarity, and multilateralism over fragmentation, insularity and isolation. Our pursuit of peace and sustainable prosperity must follow the principles of fairness, justice, and equity guided by the 2030 agenda and the UN Charter,” she added. Read: PM Hasina seeks international support in five key areas for improving healthcare Let’s bring Rohingyas hope of a brighter future in own land, foster regional stability: PM The prime minister said Bangladesh gave shelter to the Rohingya people, displaced forcibly from Myanmar, on humanitarian concern. But the world witnessed the completion of six years of the mass displacement of the Rohingyas. She said the situation has really turned unbearable for Bangladesh now. The prolonged presence of the Rohingyas in Bangladesh has caused serious ramifications on the economy, environment, security, and socio-political stability in Bangladesh, she said. “Uncertainty over repatriation has led to widespread frustration. This situation can potentially fuel radicalisation. If the problem persists further, it may affect the security and stability of the entire region, and beyond,” she added. “The displaced Rohingyas want to return to their own country, Myanmar and live a peaceful life there. Let’s bring those destitute people hope of a brighter future in their own land and thereby foster safety and stability in the region,” said Hasina. PM calls for a stronger global solidarity in sharing the burden of climate migrants: Talking about the climate change, the PM said Bangladesh is one of the most climatically-vulnerable countries in the world despite contributing less than 0.47% of global emissions. “The adverse effects of climate 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 these threats,” she said. She said Bangladesh is committed to protecting and preserving the environment and biodiversity and pursuing a climate-resilient sustainable development path. In line with the long-term temperature goal set out in Article 2 of the Paris Agreement, Bangladesh is developing its national low-carbon emission strategy and mitigation actions through green initiatives including renewable energy, she added. Read: World must learn from past mistakes to prevent another pandemic like Covid-19: PM Hasina tells high-level UN meet The premier said Bangladesh established the “Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund” back in 2009 to finance climate adaptation and allocated 480 million US dollars to this fund so far from our own resources. She said sea dykes, cyclone shelters are constructed; greenbelt and tree plantation initiatives are undertaken for climate adaptation and mitigation purpose. Bangladesh is implementing the world’s biggest housing project for people displaced by the impacts of climate change in Cox’s Bazar by constructing 139 multi-storied buildings with all necessary amenities to shelter 4,409 climate change-affected families. Under the “Ashrayan” project, a landmark initiative of my government for the landless and homeless people, 5 million people from 8 hundred and 40 thousand families have been provided with houses free of costs, she added. She said Bangladesh is implementing the “Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100” with the main objective is to achieve a safe, climate-resilient and prosperous delta through coordinated delta management process. “My government has undertaken “Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan”. We are working to ensure our gradual transition from climate vulnerability to climate resilience,” she said. Mentioning that more than six million people are using solar home systems, she said Bangladesh is also working for a more sustainable energy mix. “We hope to have 40% of our energy from renewable sources by 2040,” she said. “We call upon the major emitters to submit and implement ambitious NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions). The developed economies must fulfill their 100-billion dollars commitments,” she continued. The PM said the development needs of the climate-vulnerable countries must be considered. “We also demand an urgent operationalization of loss & damage funds as agreed in COP27,” she said. “We call for a stronger global solidarity in sharing the burden of climate migrants induced by sea-level rise, salinity increase, river erosion, floods, and droughts,” she added. Read more: Promote community clinics in developing world: PM Hasina urges dev partners Continue support during Bangladesh’s graduation from LDC: PM to dev partners About Bangladesh’s transformation into a developing country, Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh will officially graduate from the LDC category in 2026. “I believe, the ongoing multiple global crises will not derail our graduation trajectory. Yet, we reiterate our call to the development partners and the advanced economies to continue to support us during our transition to ease the impact of our graduation,” she said. She also called upon WTO members to extend to Bangladesh the existing differential treatment available to LDCs for a period appropriate to our development requirement. Noting that the LDC5 Conference held in Doha, Qatar in March this year ushered in a renewed global commitment to enhance support to the LDCs and graduating LDCs, she urged the United Nations and development partners to ensure full and effective implementation of the Doha Programme of Action. About the 2030 sustainable global agenda, the PM said financing is one of the most critical factors for a timely achievement of SDGs. “Unfortunately, however, the international financial infrastructure is barely aligned with the SDGs, nor can it respond to the financial needs of developing countries especially during crises,” she said. “Today, we urgently need an international financial architecture that will help developing countries receive concessional, low-cost, low-interest-rate funds, with minimum conditionalities,” she said. Besides, developing countries must also have equitable access to IMF’s SDR funds during emergencies and disasters. A special ‘disaster clause’ should be included in all lending instruments, she went on. The PM thanked the UN Secretary-General for proposing a 500 billion dollar SDGs stimulus package and demand its early operationalisation. Talking about global situation, she said the interlinked crises of the past few years have pushed up prices of food, energy and commodities globally, weakening our efforts to recover from the pandemic. As an energy-and food-importing country, "our import bills have shot up significantly, having negative impact on our foreign currency reserves", she said.  She said Bangladesh has taken different initiatives to keep inflation under control. “I have called upon our people to grow their own food and leave no cultivable land uncultivated. Our scientists have now developed climate-resilient varieties including drought-and flood- and salinity-tolerant varieties of crops,” she said. The PM thanked the UN 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. “As a Champion of this Group, I have always emphasized on sustainable solutions of the problems associated with food exports and its supply chain,” she said.  “We are deeply concerned that the Black Sea Grain Initiative has become defunct and call upon all parties concerned for its early restoration,” she added. Besides, for the countries like Bangladesh, uninterrupted access to fertilizers must be ensured, said Sheikh Hasina.  “Furthermore, we need global investment in cold chains to preserve the food we produce. I have proposed initiating the regional ‘food banks’ for emergency situations. We must collaborate in research and development of climate-resilient crops,” she said. Bangladesh to stand by Palestine: PM Talking about the Palestine issue, the Bangladesh PM said this year also marks the 75th anniversary of Nakba – the catastrophe inflicted upon the people of Palestine. It is deeply troubling that the legitimate rights of Palestinian people have remained unmet. “We will continue our efforts to realize the rights of the people of Palestine. Bangladesh will stand by Palestine,” she said. Noting that Bangladesh’s commitment to the general and complete disarmament is unwavering, she called for full implementation of the international disarmament and nonproliferation instruments without any delay. The PM said Bangladesh’s commitment to global peace and security is well manifested in its contribution to UN peacekeeping operations. As of now 188,000 men and women from Bangladesh have served in 55 peacekeeping missions in 40 countries. They have earned reputation for their professional excellence and impeccable performance, she said. “Owing to our own experience, we are also actively contributing to the post-conflict reconstruction efforts through our leadership role in the UN Peacebuilding Commission,” she said.    The premier said Bangladesh remains concerned at the continued prevalence of terrorist threats which are now taking new shapes due to misuse of information and communication technology. “My government maintains a 'zero tolerance' policy against terrorism and violent extremism. We do not allow our territory to be used by any party to incite terrorist acts or harm others,” she said. “We also remain concerned at the misuse of information technology for instigating violence and spreading hate speech and inflammatory rhetoric. The recent incident of burning copies of the Holy Quran has shaken our conscience. Such acts of perversion not only hurt religious sentiments of the Muslims, they instigate violence and harm peaceful co-existence of people of various faiths and beliefs,” she added.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday expressed deep shock and sorrow at the death of eminent filmmaker and former director general of Bangladesh Television, Syed Salahuddin Zaki. In a condolence message, Sheikh Hasina said, the death of this renowned artist has caused an irreparable loss to the country in terms of culture. Read: Uzra Zeya discusses Bangladesh's upcoming national election with PM Hasina: US Embassy He will be remembered by his countrymen through his creative work, she said. The prime minister prayed for the eternal salvation of the departed soul and expressed sympathy to the bereaved family.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, now in New York, will address the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Friday.The premier will deliver her speech for the 17th time at the UN general session. Like previous years, she will deliver her address in Bangla following the footsteps of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu who had addressed the UNGA first in Bangla in 1974. Read: PM Hasina seeks international support in five key areas for improving healthcareIn her address, the PM is expected to highlight Bangladesh's stance on climate change, Rohingya crisis, Ukraine war and other national and international issues.The general debate of the 78th UNGA began on Tuesday with the theme “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: accelerating action on the 2030 agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals toward peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all.” Read: Polls credibility won’t depend on EU’s decision on election mission: Shahriar AlamOn September 17, the Bangladesh Prime Minister arrived in New York to attend the UNGA.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday identified five areas where international partners can extend their support to improve the country's universal health system. She made the suggestions while speaking at the UNGA High-level Meeting on “Universal Health Coverage (UHC)” at the UN Headquarters here. The first area she mentioned is related to sustaining development assistance for children, mothers, and adolescents’ health and addressing migrants’ health and the climate-health nexus. Her second suggestion was to share expertise in developing an inter-operable, data-driven Health Information System with Health ID for all. Read: PM Hasina vows to attain SDGs overcoming challenges She also sought support to help develop a robust health insurance scheme suited to Bangladesh context. The PM's fourth plea was to enhance health sector investments, including in fast-growing health-tech start-ups. In her fifth proposal she called for compliance with TRIP obligations on patent disclosure and technology transfer for protecting public health. Read: Time has come for UN to have a first woman Secretary General: PM Hasina at UN platform “Our generation can change history by promoting UHC. Let us all join hands to make that possible,” she said. PM Hasina said that Universal Health Coverage is one of the most ambitious yet achievable SDG targets. In Bangladesh, she said, the government has a constitutional obligation to ensure healthcare access to all. “We have established a nationwide healthcare system, from community clinics to specialised medical hospitals. We work closely with non-government partners at the grassroots," she noted. She mentioned that the growing health sector investments have paid dividends. The government has reduced maternal mortality to 163 per one hundred thousand live births. Neonatal mortality has decreased to 15 and under-five mortality to 28 per thousand live births. Read: Major economies must make fair share to avert impending climate crisis: PM Hasina at UN “Our emphasis on child immunisation has achieved universal coverage. Our average life expectancy is now close to 73 years," she told the meeting. Hasina also informed that Bangladesh has been recognised as one of the world’s best at managing the COVID-19 pandemic. “We are now working on high alert to combat dengue,” she added. She said that the government is introducing advanced treatments for cancer, diabetes, and heart diseases. “Bangladesh has set standards for providing medical care in humanitarian and peacekeeping operations,” she said. Saying that government’s policies and interventions on mental health and neurological disorders are widely appreciated, she mentioned it provides reproductive health services in a culturally sensitive manner. Read: World must learn from past mistakes to prevent another pandemic like Covid-19: PM Hasina tells high-level UN meet She said the government is promoting a "One Health Approach" to prepare against Anti-Microbial Resistance. “We are raising awareness about nutrition, vision impairment, and drowning," she said. The prime minister said that Bangladesh's public health facilities provide services at zero or minimum costs, covering nearly 80 percent of the population. “I strongly believe that no one should suffer from out-of-pocket health expenses. Our focus remains on improving their service quality with a trained workforce," said the PM.She said, her government's next target is to develop a viable financing model for reimbursing costs. “In Bangladesh, we meet 98 percent of our pharmaceutical needs through domestic production," she said.

Bangladesh has signed the Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) , also known as “Treaty of the High Seas”, to protect and use marine resources in a sustainable way. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina signed the agreement on Wednesday under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea at the Ground Floor, General assembly Building, Treaty Event area here. Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said this while briefing reporters about the prime minister’s engagements here in New York. Also read: PM Hasina vows to attain SDGs overcoming challenges The BBNJ is a new instrument developed within the framework of the United Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Momen said he held several bilateral meetings with Singapore’s foreign minister of Singapore Vivian Balakrishnan and Netherlands foreign trade and development cooperation minister Liesje Schreinemache as well as attended several high level events, including Breakfast Summit on Climate Mobility and 18th Asia Cooperation Dialogue. In the climate summit, Momen said, “Bangladesh has become a role model for the rest of the countries to face the adverse impact of climate change.”   Also read: Time has come for UN to have a first woman Secretary General: PM Hasina at UN platform He said the rich countries are mainly responsible for carbon emission while the contribution of the developing countries is only 0.47 percent. The foreign minister called upon the developed countries to keep up their commitments to attain the goal of mobilising US$100 billion per year for the climate fund. Also read: Major economies must make fair share to avert impending climate crisis: PM Hasina at UN

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday urged the world leaders to draw on collective lessons to scale up good practices and avoid past mistakes to face any future pandemic like COVID-19. "Equity and solidarity must form the core of our efforts,” she told a high-level meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response (PPPR) held at UN Headquarters here. For achieving that target, she flagged five priorities, which are: First, concessional international financing for health system strengthening in developing countries; Second, mobilizing resources and expertise for pandemic surveillance, prevention, preparedness, and response in a science-based manner; Third, ensuring equitable and unrestricted access for all to quality, affordable, and effective pandemic products, including vaccines; Fourth, production diversification of pandemic products through access to technology and know-how; and, Fifth, developing an international cooperation framework for access and benefit sharing among concerned parties, with WHO in the lead. “To that end, we hope to see fair and concrete outcomes from a pandemic treaty and amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005). Bangladesh will remain constructively engaged with both processes.” Read: Income inequalities widen between rich and poor during pandemic: BIDS study The prime minister said that the COVID-19 pandemic has been a turning point for all. “We lost many around the world. We realized that nature has its own limits for human intervention. We also experienced unprecedented global solidarity. We admitted that none of us is secure until everyone is.” Sheikh Hasina mentioned that Bangladesh was no exception to the COVID-19 impacts. “Yet, we ranked fifth globally in COVID-19 recovery by one index. From the start, we had to strike a balance between saving lives and protecting livelihoods," she said. She said that early on the government has adopted a National Preparedness and Response Plan with the support of WHO. “We ensured the free provision of medicines and PPE for those in need. The number of ICU beds was more than doubled," she told the meeting. Read: WHO downgrades COVID pandemic, says it's no longer emergency She mentioned that from zero facilities, testing laboratories were set up in 885 centres. Oxygen supplies were secured in almost all hospitals. About 11,000 doctors and 13,000 medical support staff were recruited within months. With a fatality rate of 1.46 percent, the frontline workers did wonders. She also said that a dedicated digital app was launched to administer vaccines entirely free of charge. “We reached vaccine coverage of 93 percent with at least a second dose. I called for pandemic vaccines to be considered global public goods,” she added. The PM said that the government rolled out a stimulus package worth 26.9 billion US dollars. Read more: New COVID origins data suggests pandemic linked to animals “We provided direct food assistance to more than 40 million low-income people. Bangladesh extended support to other friendly countries as well as to our migrant workers abroad,” she said.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina joined a banquet US President Joe Biden hosted in honour of the world leaders attending the ongoing UNGA session here. Biden hosted the banquet at The Metropolitan Museum of Art here on Tuesday evening in honor of the heads of state and government of the participating countries. Promote community clinics in developing world: PM Hasina urges dev partners Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen confirmed Hasina's attendance while briefing reporters about the prime minister's engagements in New York. PM's daughter and Thematic Abmassador of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) Saima Wazed accompaned the premier. PM Hasina off to NY to attend 78th UNGA session At the banquet, the prime minister exchanged pleasantaries with the other world leaders.