Bangladesh’s prime minister calls for international action on Rohingya crisis, greater climate justice

In maiden address at UN General Assembly, Tarique Rahman pledges support for Palestine and outlines ‘3-R’ strategy to rebuild Bangladesh after 2024 uprising.

Bangladesh's Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Thursday urged the international community to take “firm and effective” action to resolve the protracted Rohingya crisis, called for greater climate justice and outlined his government's plans to rebuild the country following the 2024 mass uprising.

Addressing the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York, Rahman said Bangladesh has been hosting more than 1.2 million forcibly displaced Rohingya for over nine years, putting pressure on the country's resources, environment, security and host communities.

“The origin and source of the Rohingya crisis is in Myanmar. Therefore, its solution also lies there,” he said in his maiden address to the General Assembly.

Rahman said the safe return of the Rohingya to their homeland in Myanmar was the “only solution” to the crisis.

He called on the UN and international community to continue life-saving assistance for the refugees until their repatriation and warned that failure to ensure justice for them could lead to a humanitarian crisis.

He also reiterated Bangladesh's support for Palestinians' right to self-determination and an independent state while calling for conflicts worldwide to be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.

Rahman said Bangladesh was rebuilding after more than 15 years of what he called “fascist rule” following the 2024 mass uprising and the Feb. 12 national election.

He paid tribute to those killed and injured during the July-August 2024 uprising, describing it as a movement against “fascism,” as well as those who sacrificed their lives in earlier struggles for democracy, justice and human rights.

Rahman said his government was pursuing a “3-R” strategy — Recovery, Restoration and Reconstruction — as Bangladesh returned to the democratic path.

On climate change, he said Bangladesh remained among the countries most vulnerable to its effects, despite contributing little to global carbon emissions, and called for stronger international action on climate justice, financing and adaptation.

He said his government plans to plant 250 million trees over five years, expand clean and solar energy, and excavate 20,000 kilometers (12,427 miles) of canals to address flooding and drought.

Rahman also called for greater technology transfer and affordable access to emerging technologies for developing countries, warning that today's digital divide should not become tomorrow's “artificial intelligence divide.”