"How can a party be successful if its leadership is in such a dire situation?" questioned the prime minister during a media briefing held on Monday to discuss her recent trip to the US. She pointed out that one leader had been convicted of embezzling funds from orphans, while another was implicated in a 2004 grenade attack and has fled the country. Hasina questioned why the public would support such a party that cannot even participate in elections. She mentioned that the opposition party has lost confidence due to their inability to secure power. Hasina accused the BNP of trying to disrupt the election process and sow division among the people, as they are aware they have no chance of winning. The press conference was initiated by the prime minister at 4 pm on Monday at her official residence Ganabhaban in Dhaka. Hasina had recently returned from a two-week visit to the US, her first trip abroad since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. During her visit, she participated in the UNGA and various other significant events from Sept 19-23. Last year, the prime minister had attended the UNGA virtually due to the pandemic. In her speech on Sept 24, she urged the international community to work together on global issues and create opportunities for new partnerships and solutions to address emergencies. Hasina mentioned in her speech that the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the deficiencies in the global response to emergencies and emphasized the importance of global solidarity and collaboration. She participated in a high-level meeting on climate change in New York on Sept 20, at the invitation of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Hasina planted a sapling at the UN Headquarters to commemorate the birth centenary of Bangladesh’s founding father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Additionally, she took part in a virtual event called ‘Sustainable Development Solution Network’ on the same day. On September 21, Hasina participated in the opening session of the general debate at the UN Headquarters. She also took part in the 'Business Roundtable: US-Bangladesh Business Council' event on the same day. The prime minister spoke at the 'White House Global COVID-19 Summit: Ending the Pandemic and Building Back Better'. Additionally, she attended a discussion on finding a sustainable solution to the Rohingya crisis during the UNGA. Hasina conducted bilateral meetings with Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Vietnam President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, UN chief Guterres, and several other leaders while in New York.