<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday called for speaking&nbsp; out against all forms of aggression and atrocities, and to say ‘no’ to wars.</b></span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“We must speak out against all forms of aggression and atrocities, and say ‘no’ to wars," she said, adding that Bangladesh supports the UN Secretary General’s ‘New Agenda for Peace.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The prime minister was addressing the 80th Session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) held at the ESCAP Hall (2nd floor), United Nations Conference Center (UNCC)here.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She arrived in Bangkok on Wednesday on a six-day official visit to Thailand.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The prime minister also urged the world leaders to stop all wars and conflicts saying that people are suffering and women and children are the worst sufferers.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“War is going on and genocide is going in Palestine. It must be stopped. War can’t bring any solution,” she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Referring to the “Chittagong Hill Tract Peace Accord” in Bangladesh during her first regime from 1996-2001, PM Hasina said she restored peace among people in the region.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She said the pre-condition for sustainable development is lasting peace and security.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“We must settle regional disputes and tension through dialogue. Our mutual respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity must remain paramount,” she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Hasina called upon the Asia-Pacific region, especially ASEAN, to redouble their efforts to end Rohingya crisis as all efforts at regional connectivity, integration, and prosperity will continue to be marked by a missing puzzle without it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“The origin of their crisis has been in Myanmar, and its solution also lies in Myanmar," she declared.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"As long as that solution remains out of reach, all our efforts at regional connectivity, integration, and prosperity will continue to be marked by a missing puzzle. Let us redouble our efforts to put that puzzle back in place,” she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She said that in August 2017, when thousands of Rohingya men, women, and children from Myanmar fled to Bangladesh, Bangladesh offered them temporary shelter.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“With an ever growing population, this has now become one of the largest humanitarian situations in the world,” she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sheikh Hasina said that In the backdrop of ongoing armed conflicts in Myanmar, the Rohingya repatriation process is also getting delayed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“This is creating serious security risks within and beyond our territories,” she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She called upon the Asia-Pacific region, especially ASEAN, to play a proactive role in resolving the volatile situation in Myanmar.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“We must ensure that the Rohingya can go back home in safety and dignity at the earliest possible,” she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The prime minister said that the Asia-Pacific region must stand united against its common enemies of poverty and hunger.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She said&nbsp; Bangladesh has reduced poverty from 41.51 percent to 18.7 percent between 2006 and 2022.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It also reduced extreme poverty from 25.1 to 5.6 percent during the same period.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“We remain confident about eradicating extreme poverty by 2030,” she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She mentioned that Bangladesh has made notable progress on food security, with focused interventions on maternal and child nutrition.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“Our current priority is to address inequalities through income distribution, asset ownership, and social protection,” she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The prime minister said that Asia-Pacific region must put up a united front in tackling the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, and transboundary pollution.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“We need to push for ambitious climate financing goals beyond 2025 at COP-29. We need to cooperate on cross-border water management and air quality improvement. We must all prepare for growing extreme weather events,” she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In this connection, she suggested looking into Bangladesh’s experience in disaster risk reduction.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“We appreciate UN-ESCAP’s support in improving our early warning capabilities,” she added.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Briefly describing various development programmes and achievements of her govebrment, the prime minister said that much of the development gains are affected by climate impacts.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“As a low-lying delta, Bangladesh has no option but to invest heavily in climate resilience,” she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She mentioned that Bangladesh is already recognised as a global leader in climate adaptation.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“We are happy to share our traditional and innovative solutions with other vulnerable countries," she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She said that Bangladesh has urged developed and emerging economies in the region to raise their time-bound emission reduction targets.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“For economies in transition, it is important to have a just energy transition.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In Bangladesh, she said, "we are working on long-term energy security with a sound mix of clean and renewable energy."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“We shall continue to do our part in pursuing a circular and low-carbon economic growth pathway.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She underscored the need for increased and easy access to financing and technology from both the public and private sectors.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“I invite UN-ESCAP to help build the capacity of climate-vulnerable countries to mobilise adequate international climate financing.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">PM Hasina said that Bangladesh now provides critical links to the Trans-Asian Highway and Railway networks.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“Our physical and digital infrastructures are being developed to foster regional trade and connectivity.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She said Bangladesh offers access to the Bay of Bengal for land-locked territories in its neighbourhood.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“We stand ready to work together with all regional partners through mutual understanding and cooperation," said the prime minister.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Earlier, on her arrival at the conference hall of the United Nations Conference Center (UNCC), Bangkok, the audience welcomed her with a standing ovation. The audience applauded her speech with loud clapping repeatedly, reports UNB</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Prime Minister also visited “Smart Bangladesh Pavilion” installed by the ICT Division on the venue after her address.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On the other hand, United Nations Under-Secretary General and also Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Executive Secretary Armida Salsian Alisjahbana met the Bangladesh prime minister&nbsp; at the meeting room of the United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/fas</div>