Bangladesh 'free from fascism', PM Tarique Rahman tells UN General Assembly

Bangladesh's Prime Minister Tarique Rahman told the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday that his country has emerged "free from fascism" following the mass uprising of 2024, in his first address to the world body.

Rahman opened his speech by honouring those killed and injured in the July and August 2024 protests, describing them as part of a long struggle for democracy, justice and people's rights. He said that after more than a decade and a half of movement against what he called fascist rule and exploitation, and the sacrifice of thousands of lives, Bangladesh had broken free of that system.

The prime minister said the people had entrusted the Bangladesh Nationalist Party with the responsibility of governing in a national election held on 12 February this year, which he described as free, fair and impartial. He congratulated the country's democracy-supporting citizens and said his government believed the people are the source of all political power.

Rahman said Bangladesh was once again on the path of democracy and was pursuing what he termed a 3R strategy — recovery, restoration and reconstruction — to rebuild a nation he said had been battered by years of misrule. He listed enforced disappearances, killings, abductions, corruption, plunder and money laundering as practices that had become the norm before 2024.

Turning to the Rohingya refugee crisis, Rahman said Bangladesh has sheltered more than 1.2 million forcibly displaced Rohingyas from Myanmar for over nine years, placing immense pressure on the country's resources, environment, security and local communities. As a densely populated nation, he said, Bangladesh holds that the source and origin of the crisis lie in Myanmar, and therefore so must its solution.

The only answer, he said, is the early and safe return of the displaced Rohingya people to their homeland. He called on the United Nations and the international community to extend firm and effective support for a lasting resolution, and urged continued life-saving assistance for the refugees until repatriation is possible. Failure to ensure justice for them, he warned, could develop into a humanitarian crisis in the near future.

Rahman also reaffirmed Bangladesh's support for the Palestinian people, saying those who believe in democracy remain deeply concerned about their plight. He restated backing for their legitimate demands, including the right to self-determination and the right to establish an independent state of Palestine.