PM to champion ‘Bangladesh First’ agenda at upcoming UNGA: Shama Obaed

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam today (5 September) said that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will advance Bangladesh’s national interests, economic potential and development opportunities globally under the government’s “Bangladesh First” foreign policy during the upcoming United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

Guided by this policy, Tarique Rahman would present Bangladesh to the international community as a democratic, confident, responsible and promising nation, she added.

She made the remarks at a discussion titled “Upcoming UN Conference and Branding of Bangladesh”, organised by the Centre for Non-Resident Bangladeshis at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka.

Speaking as the chief guest, Shama Obaed said the prime minister would attend the UNGA for the first time since the establishment of the new democratic government.

“This year’s session is an extremely important one for Bangladesh. It marks a new journey, a new possibility and a new aspiration,” she added.

She said Bangladesh’s reputation in UN peacekeeping missions and the international standing of its armed forces could also be used as part of the country’s positive branding.  

Notably, the 81st session of UNGA will open on 8 September, at the UN Headquarters in New York.

It will address poverty eradication, climate change, pandemic prevention, nuclear disarmament and the 40th anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development, among other pressing global issues.

State Minister Shama Obaed also said the government wanted to create an environment that would encourage expatriate Bangladeshis and foreign investors to invest in the country.

She said the Invest Bangladesh Bill, 2026 had been introduced to reduce harassment faced by investors, while efforts were under way to move investment-related services online.

Referring to irregular migration as one of the major obstacles to Bangladesh’s international image, Shama Obaed said many Bangladeshis were being deceived after going abroad with forged documents arranged by middlemen.

To address the problem, a migration wing has been established at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and it is working jointly with the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, she said.

Speaking at the event, CPD Executive Director Dr Nazneen Ahmed said Bangladesh should use UN conferences to present itself not merely as a country graduating from the Least Developed Country (LDC) category, but as a promising, capable and transforming economy.

She said expatriate Bangladeshis could become one of the country’s strongest branding assets.

Bangladesh’s experience in dealing with the effects of climate change should also be highlighted internationally, she said, along with the country’s legitimate claims relating to carbon trading, climate finance and the Loss and Damage Fund.

Nazneen also suggested highlighting the new opportunities Bangladesh could gain from changes in global supply chains resulting from shifting geopolitical dynamics.

Other speakers at the discussion stressed the importance of protecting domestic investment, expanding investment and labour markets in Africa, branding agricultural products, making international travel easier for Bangladeshi businesspeople and showcasing the country’s skilled workforce globally.

They also called for a comprehensive, multi-dimensional branding strategy to promote Bangladesh’s positive image internationally.