We want global peace to prevail, says Hasina

Bangladesh is always prepared to work for ensuring global peace, said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as she urged the world to work together in combating the COVID-19 pandemic.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 25 Sept 2020, 12:18 PM
Updated : 25 Sept 2020, 01:04 PM

She made the call while speaking in a video conference at Gonobhaban organised on Friday marking the 46th anniversary of Bangabandhu’s historical speech at the global forum of the United Nations and the inauguration of a new building of Foreign Service.

“We are proud to play a key role in Peacekeeping activities by the UN. We are also pioneering at the Peacebuilding initiatives. We are one of the proponents of the concept of ‘Culture of Peace’ bringing harmony across different cultures and communities. Commitment for complete disarmament including nuclear disarmament is manifested in our constitution,” said the prime minister.

“Bangladesh is always prepared to uphold the global peace. We want peace to prevail in the world,” said Hasina as she prayed for the departed souls of the members from different forces who lost their lives while working in the UN peacekeeping mission.

Hasina hoped the world will get rid of the coronavirus pandemic and the economy will roll again soon. “We call upon the international community, particularly the labour receiving countries, to extend their empathy and sympathy to the migrants. In the area of trade, international stakeholders are expected to follow ethical business practices,” she said.

The prime minister highlighted her government’s initiatives for the country’s development and to ensure  a good life for the people.

“We gave highest importance to food as we were worried the world may face a famine. We tried our best to produce and distribute free food  for the poor.”

She also mentioned the government scaling down other economic activities amidst the pandemic.

Bangladesh is celebrating the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who showed the dream of building a ‘Sonar Bangladesh’- free from poverty, hunger, and exploitation, said Hasina.  “We dragged down the poverty rate from 40 percent to 20.5 percent and hope to reduce it further,” she said.

To achieve the target, Bangladesh needs to increase assistance and cooperation with other countries, she said.

On the 25th of September in 1974, the Father of the Nation delivered a historic maiden speech in the United Nations in Bangla in which he presented the foreign policy principles of Bangladesh at the global forum. That very speech of Bangabandhu with full of visionary directives is still relevant today, said the prime minister.

“His dictum - ‘Friendship to all, malice to none’- has been the critical driving force of our foreign policy.”

The UN General Assembly will be held virtually this year. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s recorded speech will be played on Sept 26 at the assembly.

Highlighting the need of training for the diplomats, Hasina said that diplomatic missions have seen a change in their responsibilities these days as they need not only political diplomacy but also economic diplomacy.

“I admit the need to increase the strength of our foreign service to ensure required representation abroad, promote and safeguard our national interests. Our diplomats should be more professional in materialising our development planning, conducting economic diplomacy, and rendering quality consular services to an ever-increasing Bangladeshi diaspora.”