Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Thursday (Sep. 24) announced Bangladesh's return to 'the path of democracy' in front of the international community, and said his government was pursuing a '3-R strategy' - Recovery, Restoration and Reconstruction - to rebuild the country after a prolonged period of what he described as 'fascist' rule and exploitation.

The PM, who started off by exchanging greetings with the president of the 81st session of the UNGA, his own foreign minister Dr Khalilur Rahman, quickly found his footing with a short but decisive introductory section: in it, he began by paying his deepest respects to "all the martyred freedom fighters of Bangladesh".

He then recalled the contributions of those who have sacrificed their lives in the struggle to establish democracy, justice and the rights of people in Bangladesh, "since independence".

Last but not least, he paid his sincere respects to "all those who were martyred and injured in the mass uprising of the brave students and people in July-August 2024 against fascism".

The words were carefully chosen and uncontroversial. None was accorded greater or undue importance. It was as if he solved the puzzle dividing Bangladesh for the last two years with simple chronology.

He then briefed his audience on the results of the February 12 election (no, the referendum wasn't mentioned, in case you were wondering), and allowed himself a moment of nostalgia to recall his illustrious parents, both of whom addressed the same august assembly, making him the third member of his family to address the UNGA - something that has had historians scratching their heads already this week to try and think of a precedent.

Around 3-4 minutes into his address, the prime minister segued into global issues and lamented the 'tendency to divert development budgets towards military expenditure in various countries of the world,' before making a strong stand for "complete and general disarmament".

He even committed Bangladesh to "any initiative of the United Nations aimed at establishing global humanity and world peace." And that brought us to Palestine - the first foreign country to be mentioned, in fact, one of only two in his entire speech (the other being Myanmar).

It is of course a bread-and-butter issue for any Bangladeshi leader, and the PM drove it home as well: "The people of Bangladesh, who cherish democracy, are deeply concerned about the suffering of the freedom-seeking Palestinian people. Bangladesh reaffirms its unwavering support for their legitimate demands, including their right to self-determination and their right to establish an independent State of Palestine."

By sprinkling his words with these occasional references to the primacy of democracy as a ruling dispensation - even equating inclusive growth and prosperity with 'democratisation of the economy' - the PM was setting us up for the thrust of his message, which lay in passages such as the following:

"Having freed itself from the scourges of enforced disappearances and killings, abductions, corruption, looting and money laundering that had become the norm under fascist rule, Bangladesh is now once again embarking on the path of democracy. To repair Bangladesh, which was ravaged by fascist rule and exploitation, the government is pursuing a 3-R strategy - Recovery, Restoration and Reconstruction."

There was no real elaboration on any of those, but I suppose we're expected to "get it". His government was involved in doing important work, nursing a country of 180 million people out of the clutches of fascism, and back to democracy.

He sought to reassure his audience that the women and the youth and different denominations all figured in his plans, as he explained some of the schemes his government has been implementing, such as the Family Card (and a number of other cards), the 250 million trees they're planting, plans to gradually increase education spending to 5 percent of GDP, etc.

He then called on the United Nations to adopt an "effective policy framework" so that the benefits of the development and rapid expansion of artificial intelligence and social media can be used positively in countries around the world.

The Prime Minister said Bangladesh remained committed to ensuring regular, safe and orderly migration and called for stronger global cooperation to protect the rights, dignity and welfare of migrants.

As Bangladesh prepares to graduate from the UN's Least Developed Countries category, he sought continued international support in financing, market access, technology transfer and capacity building to make the transition sustainable.

He also stressed the importance of trade facilitation, connectivity and regional cooperation, saying countries could help one another achieve prosperity through greater economic integration.

At one point, he presented a very interesting or in fact baffling statistic or calculation, saying precisely 73% of the 31-point programme on which the BNP ran its election campaign and got elected on "directly aligns" with the UN's SDG theme of 'Leave No One Behind', while the remaining 27 percent have an "indirect alignment" with it.

Whatever that was supposed to mean, it sounded unnecessary and out of place, and most likely would have gone over most people's heads. It was the one really dim moment in his 22-minute speech.

The Prime Minister of course brought up that Bangladesh had been sheltering more than 1.2 million forcibly displaced Rohingyas from Myanmar for more than nine years, putting immense pressure on the country's resources, environment, security and local communities. His most effective line on the issue was actually delivered earlier in the week at the high-level dialogue on the Rohingya crisis, when he said "humanitarian generosity must not become an excuse for international inaction."

But given that there is no realistic possibility of any movement on the Rohingya issue as long as the civil war in Myanmar persists, the prime minister probably thought better of putting too fine a point on it.

Coming to climate change, he said Bangladesh expects stronger global action at the upcoming COP31, the UN's annual climate change conference. He specifically mentioned climate justice, climate finance and adaptation support as priorities for Bangladesh.

Intriguingly, after going through some of his government's environmentally-friendly or adaptation-oriented policies, Rahman mentioned that his government was implementing "the Teesta Master Plan" and the 'Padma Barrage' project - both of which carry sensitivities across the border. Particularly given the possibility of Chinese involvement in the former. But by-and-large, the speech steered clear of spewing any venom or vitriol against any other country.

Whether intentionally or otherwise, the best part of the PM's speech was certainly kept for last - where he presented his most concise, coherent, and compelling vision for the future of Bangladesh.

"A state can never become strong by keeping its citizens powerless," he began by saying, before instantly providing the meat to the bones of that idea. "By ensuring the political and economic empowerment of the people, we want to establish a prosperous, self-reliant, welfare-oriented democratic state where everyone, irrespective of political affiliation, religion or race, can live without anxiety and in safety, with equal rights, respect and dignity."

He acknowledged that Bangladesh remained a work-in-progress; in numerous areas spanning "democracy, human rights, good governance, accountability, political stability and the investment environment", there remains much work to be done. But this work, he said, is continuing, with the aim to establish "a safe and stable Bangladesh with a business-and investment-friendly environment".

The PM even brought it all together nicely at the end, giving pride of place to "the assurance of a safe and peaceful life" in the Bangladesh he hopes to build. Which laid it up nicely for him to deliver an evolved version of what started out as his 'Bangladesh First' political mantra. It is now 'Bangladesh First - Bangladesh For All'.

He ended his speech with the BNP's trademark 'Bangladesh Zindabad'.

'An important and historic day'

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir, speaking immediately after the Prime Minister's address, said Tarique Rahman had presented Bangladesh's policy priorities and its position on global issues at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, highlighting the country's commitment to peace, development and stronger international cooperation.

"Today is an important and historic day for Bangladesh. The Prime Minister has presented before the world the national policies and key steps being taken by the elected government and highlighted Bangladesh's engagement in global affairs," said Humaiun Kabir.

He was speaking at a press briefing at the UN headquarters on Thursday after the Prime Minister delivered his address to the General Assembly. Humaiun said the Prime Minister's speech outlined a roadmap for Bangladesh's development and its role in addressing global challenges.

"He has presented Bangladesh's development priorities on the world stage and outlined programmes that will guide our journey ahead," he said.

The State Minister said Tarique also held two important bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the General Assembly on Thursday - with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. During the meeting with Shehbaz Sharif, the two sides discussed the situation in the Middle East and Pakistan's initiatives for a peaceful resolution of the conflict, he said.

"Prime Minister Tarique Rahman welcomed Pakistan's initiative for a peaceful resolution and expressed Bangladesh's support for efforts aimed at promoting peace," Humaiun said.

He said the meeting with the Thai prime minister focused on strengthening bilateral relations and cooperation in several areas. Humaiun said Bangladesh also sought Thailand's support for its proposed partnership and dialogue role with ASEAN, he said, adding that the Thai prime minister expressed support for Bangladesh.

The two sides also discussed expanding cooperation in professional manpower export, trade and investment, technology and combating cybercrime, according to the State Minister. Humaiun said Bangladesh and Thailand have historically maintained good relations and the two countries now want to broaden their partnership into new areas.

"Today we saw important world leaders meeting Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. This reflects the importance of Bangladesh's engagement with the international community," he said.

Humaiun said the Prime Minister's address had presented Bangladesh's development vision before the international community and outlined programmes for continuing that development.

Referring to the Prime Minister's UNGA address, Humaiun said it would serve as an important reference for Bangladesh's future development efforts. He also paid tribute to former prime minister Khaleda Zia, saying she had fought for democracy, and remembered those who had participated in movements for democracy and those who lost their lives during the July movement.

"Today, we remember all those who sacrificed their lives for democracy and for the establishment of democratic rights (in Bangladesh)," he said.

Towards even greater engagement

Meanwhile Dr Mahdi Amin, quite possibly the prime minister's most trusted adviser, who also accompanied him on the tour, said Tarique Rahman's engagements during his visit to New York have focused on advancing Bangladesh's interests, strengthening regional and global cooperation, and presenting the country's priorities on the world stage.

Dr Amin was speaking at a press briefing at the United Nations headquarters in New York, shortly after the Prime Minister's engagements on the third day of his visit to attend the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. He said the Prime Minister's programmes on the day covered multilateral engagements, high-level bilateral meetings and two thematic events on climate change and health.

At a high-level meeting on the threats posed by sea-level rise, the spokesperson and adviser said the Prime Minister highlighted Bangladesh's environmental priorities, including a plan to plant 250 million trees over five years and dredge more than 20,000 kilometres of canals.

He also presented plans concerning the proposed Padma Barrage and Teesta mega plan and put forward four proposals aimed at addressing climate-related challenges.

At another high-level event on integrating midwifery into primary healthcare, Dr Amin said the Prime Minister outlined Bangladesh's plans to reduce maternal and child mortality and expand healthcare services at the grassroots level. He said the Prime Minister wants to ensure healthcare reaches every family, particularly in rural and marginalised communities.

Dr Amin also highlighted Tarique's meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, describing it as a "very fruitful" meeting. He said the UN chief congratulated the Prime Minister on his electoral victory and the return of Bangladesh to a democratic system through what he described as a peaceful and acceptable election.

According to Dr Amin, Guterres thanked Bangladesh for hosting Rohingyas and for the contribution of its military personnel to UN peacekeeping operations. He also appreciated Bangladesh's role in climate resilience and its contribution to multilateralism, he said.

For his part, the prime minister discussed Bangladesh's role in global peacekeeping and multilateral cooperation and expressed his interest in strengthening the country's engagement with the United Nations, Dr Amin said.

He said the Prime Minister's address to the General Assembly reflected Bangladesh's priorities on global peace, Palestine, democracy, human rights and the rule of law, as well as inclusive development.

PM Tarique also outlined his government's policy priorities on health, education, agriculture, employment, technology and the environment, including the Family Card, Farmer Card, e-Health Card and a proposed universal card, the adviser said.

"The Prime Minister presented a roadmap for building a prosperous, self-reliant and welfare-oriented Bangladesh," he said. The Prime Minister also spoke about strengthening democracy and the rule of law and ensuring human rights.

He said the Prime Minister's UNGA address went beyond Bangladesh's national interests and highlighted issues of global peace and cooperation.

Referring to the Prime Minister's participation in the UN General Assembly, Dr Amin said it was also significant that Tarique was the third member of his family to represent Bangladesh at the world body, following his father Ziaur Rahman and mother Khaleda Zia.

He also noted that Bangladesh's Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman was presiding over the 81st UN General Assembly. Mahdi said the Prime Minister has been maintaining a busy schedule throughout his four-day New York visit, attending programmes from morning till late in the day.

Additional reporting by A.R. Jahangir