Staff Correspondent

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said no global leader raised any concern or question about last month's general election during her recent visit to Germany.

"No one said anything about the election. They don't have any concerns and questions regarding the election," she said while replying to a question at a press briefing in her official residence Ganabhaban in the capital on Friday morning.

The press briefing was organised to tell about the outcomes of her recent visit to Germany to attend the Munich Security Conference-2024.

The prime minister said bilateral issues dominated the agenda of her meetings with global leaders, held on the sidelines of the conference.

"None told me anything about the election as they knew that I would come back winning it," she said.

Not naming anyone, she said there is a country where the election is called free and fair despite the fact that it takes 12-13 days to declare the poll results.

How come! In Bangladesh, the election is not free despite its results announced within 24 hours (of the balloting), she said.

The prime minister went to Munich on February 15 and returned home on February 19.

She said her participation at the Munich Security Conference last week reflected Bangladesh's strong commitment towards peace, sovereignty and overall global security.

During her stay in Munich, she also held bilateral meetings with global leaders on the sidelines of the conference.

In her written statement, Hasina described her visit as successful.

She said she told the world leaders that the strength of the policy of a country - not the size - is the way to political and socio-economic freedom.

"Besides, through the bilateral meetings with friendly countries and international organisations the continuation of the relations have become stronger and new horizons of cooperation have been unleashed," she said.

The prime minister said that while speaking at the high-level panel on 'From Pocket to Planet: Scaling Up Climate Finance' she called for an immediate end to all hostilities, illegal occupations and inhuman killings of unarmed people, especially women and children, in Gaza and the rest of the world.

"I draw everyone's attention to the fact that the adverse effects of economic sanctions and counter-sanctions are felt far beyond the battlefield," she said.

In this context, she urged everyone to make available and implement the necessary logistics and financing to address the risks of climate change by ending the senseless arms race.

"In the crisis of humanity's existence, I present this harsh reality that petty interests only bring misery. And therefore, call on the international community to take immediate measures to address the growing security risks posed by climate change."

Hasina said that she called on the world leaders to work together to seriously consider the financing needed to address the challenges of climate change.

"I place special emphasis on increasing financing for affected countries and populations, actual transfer of pledged funds, and ensuring financial and technical assistance to vulnerable countries to address the multiple security risks posed by climate change."

She called for the swift implementation of the political commitments of rich countries and for all concerned to work together based on mutual partnership and cooperation to address the global risk of climate change.

Qatar Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, during his talks, assured Qatar's continued support for a sustainable and quick solution to the Rohingya problem.

"Besides mutual trade, investment, LNG supply was discussed. We also discussed the need to work together to end Israeli violence in the Gaza Strip," she said.

Hasina said that during the meeting with World Bank's Senior Managing Director of Development Policy and Partnership Axel Van Trotsenburge (Axel von Trotsenburg), she called for the speedy release of the US$ 500 million pledged by the World Bank as budget support in the current fiscal year in light of their contribution to the inclusion of middle-income countries.

He assured that the World Bank's assistance will continue in Bangladesh's desired path to pass the status of upper-middle-income and high-income countries.

Director General of the World Health Organization, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, at talks with the PM, lauded Bangladesh's achievements in the health sector, especially in basic health care.

The prime minister referred to her bilateral meeting with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the conference. She said they both expressed satisfaction with the existing bilateral relations and desired bilateral trade cooperation in wheat, edible oil and other agricultural products.

"I urged him to explore effective ways to quickly resolve the Ukraine-Russia conflict. We also discussed about the conflict in the Gaza Strip," she said.