Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s maiden address at the 81st session of the United Nations General As-sembly (UNGA) has drew applause from civil society members and common people.
Tarique Rahman in his speech has presented a broad roadmap for rebuilding Bangladesh, reviving its economy and strengthening its role in promoting global peace and cooperation.
National Professor Prof Dr Mahbub Ullah said Tarique Rahman’s speech came against the backdrop of the country that had been battered by more than one and a half decades of political and economic exploi-tation, leaving the country’s economy deeply weakened.
Mahbub Ullah, also an economist and political analyst, said, the premier presented the government’s 3-R strategy- Recovery, Restoration and Reconstruction- before the international community as a framework for repairing and rebuilding the country.
He said implementation of the strategy would require extensive economic and institutional work. The tax-to-GDP ratio would need to rise by three percentage points to strengthen Bangladesh’s capacity to finance development amidst major challenges of inflation and global energy crisis.
“Bangladesh is also facing the burden of accumulated domestic and foreign debt. Interest payments and loan installments could become a major constraint on development in the coming years, although borrowing itself need not be problematic if borrowed resources are used productively and generate returns for the economy,” he said.
The premier also identified banking-sector reform as an important requirement for revitalising the national economy, he said.
At the same time, Mahbub Ullah noted that the prime minister did not seek foreign assistance from weal-thy countries as the principal means of overcoming Bangladesh’s economic crisis, instead giving empha-sis on country’s own commitment and responsibility- a position he described as reflecting a “Bangladesh First” approach.
Noting that the Rohingya crisis was another major focus of the speech, Mahbub Ullah described the pro-longed presence of the Rohingyas in Bangladesh as a “big burden” and said the continued failure to se-cure their return to Myanmar had also created security vulnerabilities.
Prof Dr Md Nurul Amin Bepari, an eminent political scientist, said Rohingya crisis was not created by Bangladesh. Myanmar should play the leading role in the repatriation process. He noted that the involve-ment of China, India, the United States and the United Nations has transformed the Rohingya issue into a broader international concern.
By raising the issue at the UNGA, Bangladesh has clearly presented its position to the international com-munity, Bepar said, adding that previous assurances on repatriation had not produced a sustainable solu-tion.
Political analyst Dr Kazi Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman also said the Rohingya issue was articulated with particular clarity in the address.
“Prime Ministers from our country had attended UNGA sessions before, but this address stands out for several reasons. For the first time, our position on the Rohingya issue was articulated with utmost clari-ty,” he said.
Dr Kazi Mahbubur also highlighted the PM’s emphasis on people’s empowerment. United Nations ac-tively advocates people’s empowerment worldwide and the prime minister’s commitment to empowering Bangladesh’s people gave an international dimension to a key domestic priority.
“PM’s 3-R strategy and Bangladesh’s opposition to warfare further reinforced the country’s commitment to peace and reconstruction,” he said, adding that the speech placed strong emphasis on peaceful resolu-tion of international conflicts through dialogue, diplomacy and mutual cooperation rather than military confrontation.
Maruf Kamal Khan, editor of Bangla daily Protidiner Bangladesh, described the address as a strong ex-pression of Bangladesh’s aspirations for global peace at a time of wars, conflicts, violence and bloodshed around the world.
He quoted PM’s statement “the world will change through humanity, not deadly weapons,” saying the speech projected a message of peace and recalled the legacy of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman.
The prime minister also reaffirmed Bangladesh’s support to an independent Palestinian state and called for a resolution of the longstanding Palestinian issue, he mentioned.
The premier maintained that lasting peace in the Middle East and security across the world would remain difficult to achieve without resolving the issue, he said.
The prime minister called for international cooperation to address the growing risks posed by climate change. Women’s education and employment were presented as important instruments of empowerment, he said.
Principal Information Officer Syed Abdal Ahmed said the 17-minute speech in Bangla highlighted the need for world peace, peaceful resolution of international conflicts and stronger multilateral cooperation.
The premier also drew international attention to Bangladesh’s key concerns, including the Rohingya cri-sis, economic development, environmental issues and democratic state reforms, he said.
Abdel Ahmed said the prime minister referred to the July movement and the restoration of democracy and rule of law through the February 12 election.
