Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman said Türkiye’s foreign minister told him that Bangladesh had once been fading from the international arena but is now returning. He made the remarks while chairing a discussion at the Foreign Service Academy on Wednesday, August 5, marking July Mass Uprising Day 2026.

Rahman said the observation underscored a central goal of the July movement: ensuring Bangladesh is never again turned into a dependent state. He said the current government’s foreign policy has been founded on “Bangladesh First” from the beginning, adding that everyone has a responsibility to achieve that objective and preserve the movement’s success.

The minister also said he became deeply concerned about Bangladesh’s situation in early August last year. He contacted several former colleagues working at the office of the UN secretary-general because he believed the United Nations should not remain silent over serious human rights violations in Bangladesh. Foreign Ministry Secretary Nazrul Islam and Foreign Service Academy Rector Mohammad Abdul Muhit also spoke at the event.