Bangladesh votes for humanity, not any country in UNGA: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said Bangladesh didn't vote against any country, but it stood for humanity in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), clearing her country's stance regarding the issue.

"When there was vote against a country (Russia) we didn't go for it, but when, the issue of human rights appeared in the second proposal of UNGA, Bangladesh voted in favour of it," she said.

The premier said this in the Jatiya Sangsad here while replying to a supplementary question from Jatiya Party lawmaker Md. Mujibul Haque of Kishoreganj-3 regarding the vote against Russia in UNGA's second proposal.

She said the Ukrainian people are facing sufferings, becoming refugees and children are also sufferings due to the war.

"As the issue of human rights was involved, Bangladesh stood for it . . . It is very clear and none should have confusion on it," she added.

Sheikh Hasina said when the first proposal was tabled in the UNGA, Bangladesh found that there was no issue of human rights, no initiative of stopping the war and no other issues rather only vote against a country which
is Russia.

"To see it, I decided not to vote," she said.

The prime minister, also the leader of the house, said the war didn't begin automatically; rather there might be someone who is provoking and forced to begin the war.

She questioned why a single country would be condemned? In this context, she said, "We abstained from voting."

The prime minister mentioned that Russia is a friendly country of Bangladesh and it stood beside us when the 7th fleet was sent towards Pakistan during the War of Liberation in 1971.

"Russia stood by us in our bad time and we are surely beside the country, but if they (Russia) do unjustified anything we don't accept this," she said.

She continued that all have to see who is provoking and behind this war. She went on saying that, "So, on that day we made a decision we wouldn't cast vote."

Sheikh Hasina, however, said there is a group of people in the country who can't eat in the normal process rather they choose to eat in different ways through twisting.

"Whatever you say they don't like because their income or consultancy will be stopped if they don't talk or defame Bangladesh abroad," she said. She added that they actually don't want that Bangladesh moves forward.