He made the remarks on Thursday while addressing a high-level discussion of the United Nations Security Council titled “Impact of Poverty, Underdevelopment, and Conflict on International Peace and Security.”
According to a press release from the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh in New York, Touhid Hossain emphasized that Bangladesh has been hosting over 1.2 million Rohingyas for the past eight years out of humanitarian responsibility. However, the prolonged nature of the crisis has transformed it from a solely humanitarian concern into a multidimensional issue with economic, environmental, and growing security implications.
Referring to the brutal persecution of Rohingyas in Myanmar, the adviser urged the international community to take immediate and effective action to ensure their safe, dignified, and rights-based repatriation.
Touhid also highlighted the critical role of youth in Bangladesh’s history—from the Language Movement of 1952 to the Liberation War of 1971, and more recently, the July 2023 youth uprising. He emphasized that Bangladeshi youth have consistently led movements for justice and equality.
However, he warned that the potential for radicalization remains high if young people are denied access to education and employment. “If poverty, inequality, and developmental gaps persist, they could eventually lead to violence and instability,” he added.
Addressing broader global challenges, Touhid cited economic and political inequalities as key obstacles to lasting peace. He also referenced Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus’s “Three Zeros” policy, calling for a unified vision to achieve zero poverty, zero unemployment, and zero net carbon emissions.
To realize this vision, the adviser stressed the importance of integrating development and peacebuilding efforts and reaffirmed Bangladesh’s commitment to working with international partners to build a peaceful, prosperous, and just world.
Foreign ministers and senior representatives from Sweden, Uruguay, Timor-Leste, Germany, and other nations also participated in the Security Council session.
