Hasina meets Ban Ki-moon: UN help to boost democracy, face climate issues assured

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has assured Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of continued support for further strengthening parliamentary democracy in Bangladesh.
He also gave the assurance that the United Nations would give all necessary support to Bangladesh to cope with the challenges of global climate change.
The assurances came when the Bangladesh Premier met with the UN Secretary General at the Palais des Nations here on Thursday evening.
Press Secretary to the Prime Minister Abul Kalam Azad briefed newsmen after the meeting.
During the meeting, the UN Secretary General invited Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to attend a special UN conference of heads of government and state of 25 countries to be held on September 22 in New York ahead of the UN General Assembly session.
Ban Ki-moon highly appreciated Bangladesh Prime Minister for her hectic efforts to improve the living standards of her country’s people and restoring democracy there. He said Sheikh Hasina with her relentless struggle for democracy and people’s economic emancipation has gradually become a world leader from a national leader.
The UN Secretary General recalled that he had an opportunity to meet Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1972.
He termed Bangabandhu a towering personality and praised his farsighted leadership.
Sheikh Hasina thanked the UN Secretary General for his commendable role in the restoration of democracy in Bangladesh. In this context, she specially mentioned the UN support for holding a free, fair and credible election in Bangladesh on December 29 last year.
Ban Ki-moon also appreciated different development programmes being chalked out and implemented in Bangladesh for human resource development and women empowerment, and in health and infrastructure development sectors under the able leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
He also lauded Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s role in climate change issue to ensure a safe world for the next generation.
In this context, the Bangladesh Prime Minister informed the UN Secretary General that her government would do everything possible to protect its people from the disastrous impacts of the global climate change.
She said the present government has planned to launch capital and maintenance dredging in the country’s major rivers, creating green belt across the coastal areas and setting up embankments.
In reply, the UN secretary general said his office would extend necessary cooperation to Bangladesh in implementing its development programmes.
Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni, State Minister for Environment Dr Hasan Mahmud, Principal Secretary M A Karim, Foreign Secretary Mohamed Mijarul Quayes and Permanent Representative to the UN offices in Geneva Md. Abdul Hannan was present on the occasion.
Later, Helen Clarke, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programmes (UNDP), called on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her hotel suite here.
During the meeting, Helen Clarke congratulated Sheikh Hasina for her assumption of the office of Prime Minister through a free, fair and credible election.
Sheikh Hasina, in reply, also thanked the UNDP for its support for the restoration of democracy in Bangladesh through holding peaceful and credible polls in Bangladesh.
In this regard, the Prime Minister said that desired development has not taken place in Bangladesh as the military rulers ruled the country for a long time.
Referring to the climate change issue, the UNDP administrator assured Sheikh Hasina for its additional support for adaptation and mitigation programmes of the government in facing the challenges of climate change.
Helen Clarke also thanked Sheikh Hasina for successfully tackling the devastating floods of 1998.
About the CHT issue, Sheikh Hasina said that her previous government had resolved the problems politically and peace has been re-established in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) following the signing of a Peace Treaty.
She said the present government is relentlessly working for socio-economic development of Bangladesh to fulfill the hopes and aspirations of people.
Among others, Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni, State Minister for Environment Dr Hasan Mahmud, Principal Secretary M A Karim, Foreign Secretary Mohamed Mijarul Quayes, Permanent Representative Md. Abdul Hannan and Press Secretary to the Prime Minister were present in the meeting.

Courtesy of The New Nation