Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, in his maiden address at the United Nations General Assembly Thursday, used the opportunity to outline a three-point blueprint to rebuild Bangladesh’s institutions and economy following the political transition of 2024.“3-R Strategy” Comes to Fore
Delivering a statement in the general debate of the 81st session of the UNGA at UN Headquarters in New York, Rahman outlined what his office calls the 3-R strategy, Recovery, Restoration and Reconstruction, as the framework of his government’s rebuilding of the country.“The government is taking a 3-R strategy, Recovery, Restoration and Reconstruction, to repair Bangladesh which was devastated by fascist rule and exploitation,” Rahman told the assembly.
He said the country was trying to move beyond a period characterised by enforced disappearances, killings, abductions, corruption, looting and money laundering and was once again on a path to democratic governance after the national election held on 12 February this year.
Social Protection Programs and Women’s Empowerment
The address was largely devoted to domestic policy priorities, especially programs for women and the economically disadvantaged.
- Social protection through the Family Card, Farmers’ Card, Sports Card and e-Health Card schemes
- Proposals to combine these into one “Universal Card” system
- Education is free up to undergraduate level for women
- More access to cash funding for women entrepreneurs in small and medium industries
Women make up more than half of Bangladesh’s population and Rahman said they remain central to government plans for socio-economic transformation, describing the Family Card, issued in the name of the female head of each household, as a symbol of that focus.
Personal and Symbolic Moment
The speech was personally meaningful for Rahman, who spoke from the same podium where his late father, former president Ziaur Rahman, and his mother, former prime minister Khaleda Zia, had addressed the UN General Assembly before.The Prime Minister also said it was a special moment for him as his late father, President Ziaur Rahman, and mother, former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, had addressed the same podium of the UN General Assembly before, his office said.
He spoke in Bangla, paying tribute to the freedom fighters and those killed and injured during the mass uprising in July and August 2024, and ended with the message, “Bangladesh First: Bangladesh for All.”
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Global Issues on the Agenda
In his address, Rahman appealed for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve global conflicts as well as domestic rebuilding, and for stronger international action on the Rohingya crisis, climate change, disarmament, migration and equal access to technology. He called for continued international aid support until a long-term solution is found for the crisis, with more than 1.2 million Rohingya refugees still inside Bangladesh’s borders.
Larger Context
Rahman’s UNGA debut comes about seven months into his premiership, following the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s win in the February 2026 election that ended the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus. The speech was the highlight of a busy schedule of bilateral meetings during UNGA week and presented the 3-R strategy as the main prism through which his government wants to be seen by the international community – as a reform-minded government seeking to stabilise Bangladesh’s politics, economy and social protection systems after a tumultuous period in the country’s recent history.
