Staff Correspondent, Dhaka
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday recognized people’s hopes for a future of greater democracy, justice, and prosperity."This is a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, and the international community must play its part in supporting your efforts toward a just, inclusive, and prosperous future," he told reporters at a joint briefing at a city hotel, together with Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain.
As the country undergoes important reforms and transitions, Guterres assured that the UN stands ready to assist in fostering peace, national dialogue, trust, and healing.
"You can count on the UN to be your steadfast partner, working alongside the people of Bangladesh to help build a sustainable and equitable future for all," said the UN chief.
He underscored Bangladesh’s extraordinary generosity in responding to the Rohingya crisis.
The UN chief said that as they come together in this sacred month of Ramadan, it is more important than ever to focus on solidarity and shared humanity.
In this spirit, he said that they will continue standing with the people of Bangladesh as they navigate the challenges and opportunities ahead.
"I am deeply honored to share this moment with you. May this Ramadan bring peace, blessings, and renewed hope to all," Guterres said.
For years, he noted, the people of this nation, especially the communities in Cox’s Bazar, have hosted over a million refugees fleeing violence and persecution.
By offering Rohingya refugees sanctuary, Bangladesh has demonstrated solidarity and human dignity, often at significant social, environmental, and economic cost, he said.
"The world must not take this generosity for granted. I will continue to urge the international community to take greater responsibility and provide the necessary financial and political support for both the refugees and their host communities," Guterres said.
In Cox’s Bazar on Friday, he mentioned that they are on the verge of a deep humanitarian crisis.
"With the announced cuts in financial assistance, we are facing the dramatic risk of having only 40% of the resources available for humanitarian aid in 2025 compared to 2024," he said.
This would have terrible consequences, starting with the drastic reduction of food rations, he warned.
"That would be an unmitigated disaster. People will suffer, and people will die. I strongly appeal to the international community to allow us to avoid this tragedy," Guterres said.
The United Nations is fully committed to working with Bangladesh and others in finding a lasting solution to the Rohingya crisis that enables their safe, voluntary, dignified, and sustainable return to Myanmar, he said.
Planning is also well underway by UN Member States for a High-Level Conference on the situation of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar.
"We know the situation there continues to deteriorate. The escalation of violence and human rights violations across Myanmar, including in Rakhine State, is causing civilian casualties and driving displacement internally and across borders," Guterres said.
He called on all parties in Myanmar to exercise maximum restraint, prioritize the protection of civilians in accordance with international humanitarian law, and prevent further incitement of communal tension and violence—paving the way for democracy to take root.
Guterres joined a roundtable discussion on reform proposals, attended by representatives of political parties, the National Consensus Building Commission, and other stakeholders.
UN Under-Secretary-General Rabab Fatima, Bangladesh’s Law Adviser Dr Asif, BNP Secretary-General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed, and representatives of other political parties, including Prof Ali Riaz, Dr Iftekharuzzaman, Badiul Alam Majumdar, and UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Gwyn Lewis, were among those present at the dialogue held at Hotel InterContinental.
Guterres later joined another dialogue with youths and a meeting with members of civil society at the same venue.
Earlier in the morning, Guterres officially opened a new "UN House in Bangladesh" in the city.
The UN chief visited the new UN Common Premises to view the 50th-anniversary photo exhibition and joined the official UN flag-raising.
The visit followed a meeting with the UN Country Team in Bangladesh.
Guterres met Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Friday.
The UN chief expressed appreciation for the close cooperation between the United Nations and Bangladesh, including its contributions to peacekeeping.
He also expressed his solidarity with Bangladesh’s reform and transition process, according to a readout shared by the UN.
