Bangladesh a key partner of the UN: Guterres tells Hasan

Describing Bangladesh as an important partner, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said Bangladesh is making significant contributions to many UN programs, including international peace and security, sustainable development, and addressing climate change.

The UN chief made this statement during a meeting with Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud on Thursday afternoon (local time) in New York.

The foreign minister is currently visiting the United States.

The UN secretary-general expressed gratitude for Bangladesh’s generosity towards the Rohingya people and voiced concern about the current situation in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, particularly the forced recruitment of young Rohingya by the country’s military.

During this bilateral meeting, Guterres commended Bangladesh’s ability to adapt to and cope with climate change.

The foreign minister sought the UN’s support in facing the challenges of Bangladesh’s graduation from a low-income country.

Guterres expressed the UN’s full support in this regard, saying, “For this, Bangladesh should be rewarded, not punished.”

Hasan expressed gratitude to the UN secretary-general for his leadership in addressing ongoing global challenges, including the crisis in Gaza.

He said that peace-loving people around the world praised the UN secretary-general for his personal presence in Gaza to prevent conflict.

During this time, the foreign minister called for the UN to maintain global focus on the Rohingya crisis, ensure the safe and sustainable repatriation of nearly 1.3 million Rohingya refugees who have fled Myanmar to Bangladesh and play a stronger role in improving the situation in Rakhine.

Hasan expressed gratitude to the Guterres for the UN’s 50 years of strong partnership and development assistance to Bangladesh.

Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Muhammad Abdul Muhith, members of the foreign minister’s entourage, and officials from the mission were present at the meeting.