POBNEWS24, Dhaka Mar 13, 2025 : An 8-year-old child sacrificed his life as a sacrifice to the extreme cruelty of human rights violations. And on this day, Thursday afternoon, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrived in Dhaka on a four-day visit. During his visit to Bangladesh, he will hold several meetings at the top levels of the government, including visiting the Rohingya camp in Cox’s Bazar. The meeting will focus on the transition of the interim government to democracy, the Rohingya issue and human rights.
Foreign Affairs Advisor Towhid Hossain welcomed the UN Secretary-General at Shahjalal Airport today.
On Friday morning, these issues will be discussed with the Foreign Affairs Advisor and the High Representative of the Principal Advisor on the Rohingya problem and priority issues at the hotel where the Secretary-General is staying. Then, Antonio Guterres will meet with Principal Advisor Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus. After the meeting, they will go to Cox’s Bazar together. From there, they will visit the Rohingya camp.
Various UN agencies working in Bangladesh will brief the UN Secretary-General about their respective activities in the Rohingya camps. After visiting the Rohingya camps, the Chief Advisor and the UN Secretary-General will have iftar with millions of Rohingya. They will leave for Dhaka from Cox’s Bazar that night.
When asked about Antonio Guterres’ visit, UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Gwen Lewis said that this is an important visit. He is coming to Bangladesh during the month of Ramadan at the invitation of the Chief Advisor to express solidarity. Every year, he visits Muslim countries during the month of Ramadan. Apart from this, he will discuss the Rohingya during the visit. The issue of international assistance will come up there.
When asked whether the meeting with the Chief Advisor will discuss reforms, elections and its cooperation in Bangladesh, he said that the UN has stood by the Bangladeshis during different governments. As a result, the UN’s cooperation and solidarity will continue. The interim government or the future elected government will inform the UN about what kind of cooperation will be sought and what the priority issues are.
Recently, the UN Secretary-General, in a letter to the Chief Advisor, reiterated his support and solidarity in the democratic transition process in Bangladesh.
When asked about the discussions at the meeting with the Chief Advisor, a government official said, the Chief Advisor, the UN Secretary-General and the Chief Advisor’s representative want to set a milestone example for the Rohingya. Maybe Bangladesh can make an arrangement to use the corridor to address the famine in Rakhine, which could be a milestone. There is a disagreement between the administration and the government on this.
He said, the meeting will definitely discuss Bangladesh’s transition to democracy. The UN Secretary-General has already expressed support and solidarity with the government on this issue. Apart from this, various human rights issues will be discussed.
Antonio Guterres will visit the UN office in Dhaka on Saturday. There, he will exchange views with UN staff. After that, Antonio Guterres will return to the hotel in the afternoon and join the roundtable meeting. Apart from that, he will exchange views with the youth and civil society representatives of Bangladesh there.
A joint press briefing is scheduled for this afternoon. In addition, the principal advisor has organized an iftar and dinner courtesy of the UN Secretary-General in the evening. He is scheduled to leave Dhaka on Sunday morning.
Meanwhile, an eight-year-old child who was raped in Magura, a victim of extreme cruelty of human rights violations, has died on the day of the UN Secretary-General’s arrival. The child died at 1 pm on Thursday while undergoing treatment at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dhaka. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed the death.
The child was undergoing treatment at the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) of the hospital’s pediatric department. Earlier, the child suffered ‘cardiac arrest’ (sudden heart failure) four times while undergoing treatment on Wednesday and twice more on Thursday.
The eight-year-old child was raped late at night on March 5 while visiting her sister’s house in Magura. The child was first admitted to Magura Sadar Hospital. When her condition deteriorated, she was transferred to Faridpur Medical College Hospital. There was no improvement in her condition there. Later, on Thursday night, the child was admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital in an unconscious state.
When her condition deteriorated, the child was given life support on Friday night. When her condition deteriorated further, the child was transferred to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) on Saturday (March 8) afternoon. She was undergoing treatment there.
The child’s mother filed a case against four people in the rape incident. Police arrested the child’s brother-in-law Sajib (18), Sajib’s brother Ratul (17), their father Hitu Mia (42) and mother Jabeda Begum (40) on charges of rape.
The Bangladesh Army expressed its condolences over the death of the rape victim and prayed for the forgiveness of the departed soul. The ISPR said in a press release that the Bangladesh Army expresses its deep condolences to the bereaved family of the child. The army pledges to stand by them in any need.
The release said, “It is with a heavy heart that we inform you that the child who was abused in Magura breathed his last at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) at 1 pm on Thursday.”
