Bangladesh has reaffirmed its strong commitment to democratic governance, sustainable development, peacekeeping and multilateral cooperation during a meeting between State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam and UN Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari in New York on Thursday . The State Minister underlined the priorities of Bangladesh’s newly elected government, emphasizing efforts to restore public trust, strengthen institutions, enhance transparency and accountability, improve public service delivery, and uphold human rights and the rule of law. She also highlighted the government’s initiatives, including the introduction of the “Family Card” and “Farmers Card” programmes aimed at addressing the socio-economic vulnerabilities of the respective groups. Underscoring Bangladesh’s role as one of the leading contributors to UN peacekeeping operations, she stressed the importance of preserving peacekeeping mandates despite the ongoing liquidity crisis and emphasized greater participation of women and youth in post-conflict settings. On the Rohingya crisis, she said the repatriation of displaced Rohingyas to Myanmar remained the only viable long-term solutionand called for continued international support for their return to their own country. ASG Khiari commended Bangladesh’s longstanding contribution to UN peacekeeping operations and its role in promoting women’s participation in peace and security initiatives.