<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today addressed a press conference at her official Ganabhaban residence here this afternoon on her joining the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and visits to the USA and the UK.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">She read out a written speech at the beginning of the press conference.&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Following is the verbatim of her written speech:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Colleagues and</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Dear journalist brothers and sisters,</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Assalamu Alaikum. Good afternoon.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">My heartiest greetings to all.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">On September 17 in 2023, I went to New York to join the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly. I stayed there till September 22. I returned home on Wednesday last after wrapping up my visit from September 23 to September 30 in Washington and September 30 to October 3 in the United Kingdom.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I addressed the debate session of the General Assembly on September 22. The theme for this year's General Debate was "Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all."&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The topics I upheld in my speech were:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">* I emphasized unity, solidarity and multilateralism instead of divisions, parochialism and isolation in achieving world peace and sustainable prosperity and facing the challenges of common crises.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">* Bangladesh and other developing countries lagged behind in implementing SDG due to the impacts of climate change and coronavirus pandemic and Russia-Ukraine war. Under the circumstances, I called for keeping intact the special advantages entitled under this category for required period even after the graduation from the category of least developed countries (LDCs). BSS</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>