Bangladesh

It is with deep sadness that I learned of the passing of Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, the globally renowned founder of BRAC, the development organization.  Sir Fazle’s contributions to poverty alleviation and sustainable development in Bangladesh and around the world are sources of great inspiration for the United Nations. 

I congratulate the International Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh on the anniversaries you are observing on this occasion.
 
Thank you for your commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals.
 
Despite considerable advances, we are not on track to achieve them by 2030.
 
That is why I have called for a Decade of Action.
 
Financing is essential, and requires deep changes in both the public and private sectors.   

United Nations Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Myanmar Christine Schraner Burgener conducted her first official visit to Bangladesh from 14 to 16 July.  In Dhaka, she met with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Director General of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence, Major General Md. Saiful Abedin, Foreign Secretary Md.

SG: Ladies and gentlemen of the media, a very good evening, and thank you very much for your presence.

I have been, in the past, twice in North Rakhine State. So, I was perfectly aware that the Rohingyas’ world can remain one of the most if not the most discriminated community in our planet.

It is impossible to visit these camps without breaking our hearts with the suffering of the Rohingya people. 
 
First of all, listening to the terrible stories of massive violence – of killings, of rape, of torture, of house or villages burnt - it is probably one of the most tragic stories in relation to the systematic violation of human rights.
 

Ladies and Gentlemen,
 
I am delighted that Bangladesh has fulfilled the criteria for graduation from the world’s least developed countries.
 
This is a clear signal that the country is building an inclusive and thriving economy, with a commitment to lifting millions of people from poverty and hunger.
 
I also commend Bangladesh’s achievements in women's empowerment and access to education.
 

From 7 to 13 March I visited Bangladesh to assess the situation of the Rohingya population who have crossed the border from Myanmar to Bangladesh since the most recent incidents of violence in northern Rakhine state in October 2016 and August 2017. During my visit, I had the opportunity to meet Bangladeshi authorities, civil society actors and members of the diplomatic community. I also visited refugee camps in Cox’s Bazaar, where survivors I met shared horrifying stories of what they have endured.