DHAKA: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina would clear Bangladesh’s position as an anti-terrorism and anti-militancy country at the 65th general assembly of the United Nations, the Foreign Ministry announced ahead of the PM’s trip to the UN headquarters.

Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni Thursday made the disclosure at a press conference at her office, two days ahead of the premier’s departure for New York to attend the UN General Assembly.  

She told the journalist that the premier, in her speech, would also seek more international financial aid from the international community to face the challenges of climate change.

She also would firmly demand accepting Bengali as an official language of the UN, the foreign minister said.
 
Dipu Moni further informed that the PM would demand duty-free access of Bangladeshi products to developed countries’ markets, including the US market.

Sheikh Hasina would place a strong plea for allowing free movement of Bangladeshi workers in different countries of the world, including protection of their due rights and increase in facilities for the migrant Bangladeshi workers.

The minister informed that Prime Minister Hasina will leave Dhaka on a ten-day visit to New York on September 18 to join the general assembly of the United Nations. She would leave New York for Dhaka on September 28.

The general assembly of the United Nations already started on September 14, with heads of state and government attending the world’s highest forum to deal with problems and prospects of the present-day world in a fast-changing milieu.

Bangladesh prime minister would lead a 98-member delegation and address the assembly on September 27. The premier would deliver her speech in Bengali, said Dipu Moni.

Replying to a question, Dr Moni said the PM would explain different achievements of Bangladesh on national and international fronts.

A conference on climate change would be organized by Bangladesh with heads of state and government of South Asian Countries on the sidelines of the UN assembly.

The meeting will discuss putting up a united position of the South Asian Countries for the next Cancun Summit on climate change, she said.

She informed in the briefing that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, heads of state and government of Mexico, Norway and Ethiopia would also attend the meet.

Bangladesh would project problems and possible solutions of the least-developed countries at the conference.

Besides, the prime minister would join the summit on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on September 20-22 as well as join a meeting of least-developed countries on September 21.  

She would preside over a high-profile conference on child affairs jointly organized by Bangladesh and UNICEF on September 22. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and US President Barack Obama would join the conference, Dipu Moni said in her briefing.

The PM also would inaugurate the new building of the permanent mission of Bangladesh at United Nations in the morning on September 27.

Sheikh Hasina would meet with top business leaders of the United States to put forward different issues, including increase in trade of Bangladesh and ensuring duty-free access of Bangladeshi goods.

Bangladesh would attend the special committee’s meeting of the United Nations on Palestine and the country would take a “strong position on demands of the Palestinians”, the FM said.

Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni, Finance Minister AMA Mihith, Planning Minister AK Khandaker, Health Minister AFM Ruhal Haque, Advisers to the PM, government officials, businessmen, eminent persons, journalists and cultural personalities would accompany the Prime Minister on her New York tour.

BDST: 1748 HRS, SEPT 15, 2010