Indian Council of World Affairs

Bangladeshi Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina visited United States (US) from September 19-30, 2021. This was her first foreign visit since the onset of Covid-19 pandemic from March 2020. Her last foreign visit was to Italy in February 2020. She was in New York from 19 - 24 September, where she addressed the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) along with other UN meetings. Thereafter, she was in Washington DC from September 25 - 30, 2021 for bilateral meetings with the US. This paper will focus on her visit to New York and her address in the UNGA.

PM Sheikh Hasina delivered her speech in the 76th Session of the UNGA on September 24, 2021. It was her 18th address in Bangla in the UNGA.[i] She gave her speech in Bangla. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman also addressed the UNGA in 1974 in Bangla.[ii]

She began her address by paying tribute to the frontline workers for their service and sacrifice during the pandemic, PM Hasina stated how the UN remains to be a ‘source of hope and aspiration’ during such challenging times. Setting aside differences, there is a need to harness the collective strength of all the nations to build back a better world.[iii]

She mentioned that Bangladesh is celebrating the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Father of the Nation, who laid down his life for Bangladesh. She stated that she still seeks justice from the revered body of the UN for the brutal massacre of her family 46 years ago.

Sheikh Mujib saw the UN as the center of people’s future hopes and aspirations. While working towards fulfilling the dream of Bangabandhu, Bangladesh is now among the five fastest-growing economies in the world, which has been able to reduce their poverty from 31.5 per cent in 2010[iv] to 20.5 per cent in 2019.[v] While attaining economic development and other social achievements, political empowerment of women in Bangladesh is ranked 7th[vi]; ahead of its regional neighbours since 2014.[vii]

PM Hasina pointed out several issues in her address. First, she stressed the urgent need for universal and affordable access to vaccines for people across the world. PM Hasina mentioned that ‘84 percent of vaccine doses have been received by people in the high and upper-middle-income countries, while the low-income countries received less than 1 percent’. She called upon the need to urgently address such vaccine inequality.[viii]

Second, she stated that the pandemic has deeply impacted the climate vulnerable countries disproportionately, for which immediate measures should be adopted. She mentioned that Bangladesh presently chairs the Climate Vulnerable Forum and the Vulnerable Twenty Group of Ministers of Finance, where “Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan– Decade 2030” has been launched with the agenda ‘from climate vulnerability to climate prosperity’.[ix]

Third, the present crisis has deeply impacted the education system, for which a global plan should be formulated to prioritize digital tools and services, universal access to the internet, along with facilitating capacity building of teachers. She said that the UN system should rally partnerships and resources to make this happen.[x]

Fourth, she praised the role of the migrants during the pandemic, who played a leading role as frontline workers in health and other emergency services, and pleaded that they should be treated properly, protecting their job, health and well-being by migrant-receiving countries.[xi]

Fifth, she mentioned that although Bangladesh faced unprecedented challenges during the pandemic, it is steadily working to graduate from the least developed countries (LDC) category. She stressed that development partners should provide more support to countries falling in the least developed countries (LDC) category. Bangladesh being one of the co-chairs of the Preparatory Committee of the LDC 5 Conference, Bangladesh expects concrete outcomes of this conference, which will be held on January 2022, enabling more countries to sustainably graduate out of the LDC category.[xii]

Sixth, she reminded the gathering that the Rohingya crisis is in its fifth year and not a single Rohingya refugee could be repatriated to Myanmar. While mentioning about the relocation of refugees in ‘Bashan Char’, she sought the speedy and urgent resolution of the Rohingya refugee crisis. She reiterated that the crisis was created in Myanmar and the solution of the crisis lies in Myanmar.[xiii]

While stating that peace in Afghanistan remains essential for the region, which can be brought forth by the people of Afghanistan, she reiterated that Bangladesh continues to maintain a ‘zero-tolerance policy’ against terrorism and violent extremism.  While appreciating Bangladesh’s role in peacekeeping operations, before concluding her statement, she stressed her government’s belief in disarmament and total elimination of nuclear weapons.[xiv]

During a meeting with PM Hasina, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres praised her for the development miracle in Bangladesh. PM Hasina requested the Secretary-General to engage more personnel of Bangladesh armed forces in the higher ranks of the UN peacekeeping mission.[xv]

During this visit, she also attended and addressed other UN meetings. PM Hasina attended a closed-door meeting for a small group of Head of States/Head of Governments on climate change at the UN headquarters on September 20, 2021 organised by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Issues like the delivery of $100 billion every year from the developed countries to support the developing countries to tackle climate change and actions that were needed to tackle climate change before the upcoming climate conference, COP26 were discussed.[xvi]

While speaking at the "High-Level Side Event on Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals (Rohingya) crisis: Imperatives for a Sustainable Solution" arranged by Bangladesh and co-sponsored by eight countries including UK, Ireland, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, on September 22, 2021, PM Hasina stressed that the international community must urgently take all possible collective steps to permanently resolve this ongoing humanitarian crisis. She mentioned about the growing frustration within the refugees, which can entice them towards criminal activities and fall prey to extremist ideologies, which would destabilise the entire region.[xvii]

On September 23, 2021, PM Hasina addressed an “Event of Leaders” network on “Delivering on the UN Common Agenda: Action to Achieve Equality and Inclusion” organised by the Swedish Mission to the UN. During her address, she placed a six-point proposal. First was to eliminate the ‘vaccine divides’ between rich and poor nations; second, was to need for a new paradigm which would address this inequality in a holistic manner.[xviii] Third, she stressed on the special financial needs to support vulnerable countries, including LDCs and climate vulnerable countries; fourth, to address the vulnerabilities of migrants and people on the move. Fifthly, she mentioned the need to bridge the ‘digital divides’ to ensure equal opportunities for all in this digital age, and sixthly, create more opportunities for women and girls building them to be the ‘real change makers’ of societies.[xix]

The UN also held its first Food Systems Summit on September 23, 2021 in the UN headquarters, “to spur national and regional action to deliver the UN’s 17 SDGs through transforming food systems”.[xx] While stressing the ‘quality of food’, and the manner in which Bangladesh has been working towards self-sufficiency in domestic food production[xxi], PM Hasina placed a five-point proposal to ensure a resilient global food system. The proposals included more research, investments on agricultural production, increased funding for developing countries, developing global coalitions and partnerships, reducing food waste through collaboration among countries and timely disbursement of committed funds to adapt to climate-led extreme events.[xxii]

The PM also participated in a high-level meeting of the UNGA to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, which focuses against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.[xxiii]

On the sidelines of the UN meetings in New York, PM Hasina’s got the opportunity of meeting many leaders for strengthening bilateral relations. She met EU Council President Charles Michel, PM of Barbados Mia Amor Mottley, her Danish counterpart PM Mette Frederiksen, Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, President of the Maldives Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and President of Vietnam Nguyễn Xuân Phúc.[xxiv] While meeting Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, PM Hasina stated that Bangladesh is contemplating in introducing insurance for checking the loss and damages caused by the natural calamities.[xxv]

PM Hasina was also awarded the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Progress Award by the UN-sponsored Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN)[xxvi] for Bangladesh’s steady progress in achieving the UN's SDG. While receiving the award, she stated that the pandemic has pushed many countries away from the SDG targets, and there is an immediate need for having ‘a bold and ambitious global roadmap’ for bringing the countries back on track.[xxvii]

Bangladesh has played an important role in charting out a path for developing countries to attain the UNSDGs. It is also urging all international actors towards finding the resolution of the Rohingya refugee crisis. During this visit, Bangladesh has stressed on the urgency to work on climate change and rejuvenation of economies after the pandemic. The leadership has stressed on reduction of inequalities within nations, sustainable development, and food security. Bangladesh has turned into a model country to be replicated for economies deeply impacted by the pandemic as well as the manner in which an economy in crisis a decade ago has turned into the fastest growing economy of the world.

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*Dr Dhrubajyoti Bhattacharjee is a Research Fellow at the Indian Council of World Affairs, New Delhi.
Disclaimer: The views are of the author.

Endnotes

[i]“আজজাতিসংঘসাধারণপরিষদঅধিবেশনেভাষণপ্রধানমন্ত্রীর”, কালেরকণ্ঠ, ২৪সেপ্টেম্বর, ২০২১, https://www.kalerkantho.com/online/national/2021/09/24/1076530 as accessed on September 24, 2021

[ii] Speech of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on 25th September 1974 at the UNGA, Permanent Mission of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh to the United Nations, https://bdun.org/1974/09/25/speech-of-bangabandhu-sheikh-mujibur-rahman-on-25th-september-1974-at-the-unga/ as accessed on September 24, 2021

[iii] Statement by H. E. Sheikh Hasina Hon’ble Prime Minister Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, General Debate of the 76th United Nations General Assembly, 24 September 2021, provided by the Bangladesh High Commission, New Delhi

[iv] Bangladesh Poverty Assessment: Facing Old and New Frontiers in Poverty Reduction, World bank Group, 2019, p. 22, https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/793121572582830383/pdf/Bangladesh-Poverty-Assessment-Facing-Old-and-New-Frontiers-in-Poverty-Reduction.pdf as accesed on September 29, 2021

[v] As  per the Asian Development Bank, in Bangladesh the population living below the poverty line dropped to 20.5 percent in 2019 from 24,3 percent in 2016. Poverty Data: Bangladesh, Asian Development Bank, https://www.adb.org/countries/bangladesh/poverty as accessed on September 29, 2021

[vi] “WEF: Bangladesh top among South Asian countries in gender equality for 7th time”, Dhaka Tribune, April 4, 2021, https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2021/04/04/wef-bangladesh-tops-south-asia-in-gender-equality-for-7th-time as accessed on September 29 2021

[vii]Statement by H. E. Sheikh Hasina Hon’ble Prime Minister Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, General Debate of the 76th United Nations General Assembly, 24 September 2021, provided by the Bangladesh High Commission, New Delhi 

[viii] Statement by H. E. Sheikh Hasina Hon’ble Prime Minister Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, General Debate of the 76th United Nations General Assembly, 24 September 2021, provided by the Bangladesh High Commission, New Delhi

[ix] Statement by H. E. Sheikh Hasina Hon’ble Prime Minister Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, General Debate of the 76th United Nations General Assembly, 24 September 2021, provided by the Bangladesh High Commission, New Delhi

[x] Statement by H. E. Sheikh Hasina Hon’ble Prime Minister Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, General Debate of the 76th United Nations General Assembly, 24 September 2021, provided by the Bangladesh High Commission, New Delhi

[xi] Statement by H. E. Sheikh Hasina Hon’ble Prime Minister Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, General Debate of the 76th United Nations General Assembly, 24 September 2021, provided by the Bangladesh High Commission, New Delhi

[xii] Statement by H. E. Sheikh Hasina Hon’ble Prime Minister Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, General Debate of the 76th United Nations General Assembly, 24 September 2021, provided by the Bangladesh High Commission, New Delhi

[xiii]Statement by H. E. Sheikh Hasina Hon’ble Prime Minister Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, General Debate of the 76th United Nations General Assembly, 24 September 2021, provided by the Bangladesh High Commission, New Delhi 

[xiv]Statement by H. E. Sheikh Hasina Hon’ble Prime Minister Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, General Debate of the 76th United Nations General Assembly, 24 September 2021, provided by the Bangladesh High Commission, New Delhi

[xv] “Guterres praises Bangladesh’s development miracle, Sheikh Hasina’s leadership”,  Jagonews24.com, September 24, 2021, https://www.jagonews24.com/en/national/news/58043 as accessed on September 24, 2021; “বাংলাদেশওশেখহাসিনারনেতৃত্বেরপ্রশংসায়জাতিসংঘমহাসচিব”, বাংলাদেশপ্রতিদিন, ২৪সেপ্টেম্বর, ২০২১, https://www.bd-pratidin.com/national/2021/09/24/694417 as accessed on September 24, 2021 

[xvi] “Delivering climate finance is the key to COP26 success”, The Daily Star, September 22, 2021, https://www.thedailystar.net/views/opinion/news/delivering-climate-finance-the-key-cop26-success-2181071 as accessed on September 23, 2021 

[xvii] “অতিজরুরিভিত্তিতেরোহিঙ্গাপ্রত্যাবাসনজোরদারেরদাবিপ্রধানমন্ত্রীর”, প্রথমআলো, ২৩সেপ্টেম্বর২০২১, https://www.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/%E0%A6%85%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BF-%E0%A6%9C%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BF-%E0%A6%AD%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%87-%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%8B%E0%A6%B9%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%99%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%97%E0%A6%BE-%E0%A6%AA%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%A8-%E0%A6%9C%E0%A7%8B%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%A6%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%A6%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BF-%E0%A6%AA%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%A7%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%80%E0%A6%B0 as accessed on September 23, 2021 

[xviii] “PM Hasina for eliminating vaccine divides in world”, Dhaka Tribune, September 23, 2021, https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/foreign-affairs/2021/09/23/pm-for-eliminating-vaccine-divides-in-world as accessed on September 24, 2021

[xix] “PM Hasina for eliminating vaccine divides in world”, Dhaka Tribune, September 23, 2021, https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/foreign-affairs/2021/09/23/pm-for-eliminating-vaccine-divides-in-world as accessed on September 24, 2021 

[xx] “Leaders commit to tackling global hunger, climate change, biodiversity loss and inequities at historic UN Food Systems Summit”, PR Newswire, September 24, 2021, https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/leaders-commit-to-tackling-global-hunger-climate-change-biodiversity-loss-and-inequities-at-historic-un-food-systems-summit-301384570.html as accessed on September 24, 2021 

[xxi]“বাংলাদেশখাদ্যঘাটতিরদেশথেকেখাদ্যউৎপাদনেস্বয়ংসম্পূর্ণহয়েউঠেছে: প্রধানমন্ত্রী”, প্রথমআলো, ২৪সেপ্টেম্বর২০২১,https://www.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%82%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B6-%E0%A6%96%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%98%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%9F%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B6-%E0%A6%A5%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%87-%E0%A6%96%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AF-%E0%A6%89%E0%A7%8E%E0%A6%AA%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A6%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%87-%E0%A6%B8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AC%E0%A7%9F%E0%A6%82%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AA%E0%A7%82%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A3-%E0%A6%B9%E0%A7%9F%E0%A7%87-%E0%A6%89%E0%A6%A0%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%9B%E0%A7%87-%E0%A6%AA%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%A7%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%80 as accessed on September 24, 2021 

[xxii] “PM Hasina seeks resilient global food system, places suggestions”, Dhaka Tribune, September 23, 2021, https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2021/09/23/pm-hasina-seeks-resilient-global-food-system-places-suggestions as accessed on September 24, 2021; “স্থিতিশীলখাদ্যব্যবস্থা’ গড়েতুলতেপ্রধানমন্ত্রীর৫পরামর্শ”, বাংলাদেশপ্রতিদিন, ২৪সেপ্টেম্বর, ২০২১, https://www.bd-pratidin.com/national/2021/09/24/694380 as accessed on September 24, 2021

[xxiii] 5th plenary meeting: High-level meeting of the General Assembly to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, 76^th Session, Schedule of General Assembly Plenary and Related Meetings, United Nations General Assembly, https://www.un.org/en/ga/info/meetings/76schedule.shtml as accessed on September 23, 2021 

[xxiv] “Chart roadmap for the ones left behind”, The Daily Star, September 22, 2021, https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/hasina-seeks-sdgs-roadmap-those-falling-behind-2181181 as accessed on September 23, 2021; “বাংলাদেশওশেখহাসিনারনেতৃত্বেরপ্রশংসায়জাতিসংঘমহাসচিব”, বাংলাদেশপ্রতিদিন, ২৪সেপ্টেম্বর, ২০২১, https://www.bd-pratidin.com/national/2021/09/24/694417 as accessed on September 24, 2021; “PM Hasina off to US on first foreign trip since Covid-19 pandemic”, The Daily Star, September 17, 2021, https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/diplomacy/news/pm-hasina-us-first-foreign-trip-covid-19-pandemic-2178041 as accessed on September 23, 2021

[xxv]“রানিম্যাক্সিমারসঙ্গেপ্রধানমন্ত্রীরসাক্ষাৎ”, যুগান্তর, ২৪সেপ্টেম্বর২০২১, https://www.jugantor.com/national/468695/%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%BF-%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%99%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%97%E0%A7%87-%E0%A6%AA%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%A7%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%80%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B7%E0%A6%BE%E0%A7%8E as accessed on September 24, 2021 

[xxvi] The UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) was set up in 2012 under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General. SDSN mobilizes global scientific and technological expertise to promote practical solutions for sustainable development, including the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Agreement. 

[xxvii] “Chart roadmap for the ones left behind”, The Daily Star, September 22, 2021, https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/hasina-seeks-sdgs-roadmap-those-falling-behind-2181181 as accessed on September 23, 2021