In an address to the nation, Honouarble Prime Minister (HPM) Sheikh Hasina said culture has no clash with religion -- referring to numerous attacks on cultural programmes including bombings at Pohela Baishakh celebration. Religions are for individuals, but festivals are for all. We celebrate our festivals together, the premier added. In a related development, Mongol Shobhajatra (procession marking Bangla New Year) was brought out with the intention of dispelling vagaries of the old, and welcoming bright prospects of the new year. For two years in a row, the Pohela Baishakh celebration remained muted across the country due to coronavirus lockdowns. This year, as the number of cases declined the country launched full-scale celebrations to ring in the Bangla New Year 1429.

Honourable Secretary General (SG) of the United Nations António Guterres called HPM Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday and invited her to join the Global Crisis Response Group on Food, Energy and Finance (GCRG). In reply to the invitation, the Bangladesh premier thanked the UN chief and gave her consent to join the GCRG during talks between the two leaders that lasted for 12 minutes. According to media reports, she was happy that the Indonesian and Senegalese presidents, and the Barbados and Denmark prime ministers were joining the group while the premier expressed confidence that the group would meet its goals as she looked forward to closely work with other leaders.

Honourable Secretary General (SG) of the United Nations António Guterres called HPM Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday and invited her to join the Global Crisis Response Group on Food, Energy and Finance (GCRG). In reply to the invitation, the Bangladesh premier thanked the UN chief and gave her consent to join the GCRG during talks between the two leaders that lasted for 12 minutes. According to media reports, she was happy that the Indonesian and Senegalese presidents, and the Barbados and Denmark prime ministers were joining the group while the premier expressed confidence that the group would meet its goals as she looked forward to closely work with other leaders.

The estimated poverty in Bangladesh has declined by 0.6% in the 2021 fiscal year, riding on the strong economic recovery amid the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the latest report of the World Bank. In Bangladesh, a rebound of manufacturing and service sector activities led strong growth in FY21 and in the first half of FY22. “Following a strong economic recovery from the pandemic, estimated poverty declined to 11.9% in FY21 from 12.5% in FY20, as per the international poverty rate”, added the report. Under the prudent leadership of HPM Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh marked significant gains in eradication of poverty situation given some eight million people came out of the poverty cycle from 2010 to 2016.

Bangladesh has been unanimously elected a member of the Commission for Social Development (CSocD), a subsidiary body of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for a four-year term (2023-2027). Along with Bangladesh, India and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have also been elected to this body from the Asia Pacific Group, according to media reports. This membership clearly testifies to the remarkable accomplishments the country witnessed on key social and human development indices over the course of a decade with HPM Sheikh Hasina at the helm. Commission for Social Development (CSocD) has been the key United Nations body that advises ECOSOC on social policies of general character and follows up the key social development themes.

Despite a veritable doomsday since the eruption of last year's Covid-19 pandemic, compounded with ongoing war in Ukraine, Bangladesh has done exceptionally well economically compared to many of the developed countries. From effective stimulus packages to timely reopening of factories and relief assistances for the people have largely contributed to such a strong accomplishment. Meanwhile HPM Sheikh Hasina said the country's economy will witness a complete overhaul once the mega projects are completed.

As mobile phones became increasingly vital, a massive market worth hundreds of millions ($) has grown centring its production, sales and mobile-based major services including the financial transaction platform in only five years, prior to which the market was entirely import-dependent. Thanks to a raft of investment friendly incentives as devised by HPM Sheikh Hasina, leading mobile manufactures including Samsung, Nokia, Vivo, Xiaomi and Oppo have set up factories in the country while as many as 12-13 operational manufactures are supplying more than 90% of the market demand. According to media reports, introduction of tariffs on mobile handset imports, tax holiday and VAT exemptions on local products encouraged those top international brands.