The prime minister expressed concern about how a party with leaders facing criminal charges and convictions could win an election during a media briefing on Monday. She questioned why people would vote for a party whose leaders are involved in corruption and criminal activities, and accused the opposition party of trying to undermine the election process due to lack of confidence in their ability to win. 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, marking her first trip abroad since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. During her visit, she participated in the UNGA and other significant events from Sept 19-23. Last year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the prime minister attended the UNGA virtually. On Sept 24, she delivered a speech at the UNGA urging the international community to work together on global issues and foster new partnerships and solutions to address emergencies. Hasina mentioned in her speech that the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the global response to emergencies' inadequacies and emphasized the importance of global solidarity and collaboration. She attended a 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 on the same day to commemorate the birth centenary of Bangladesh's founding father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Additionally, she participated 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 attended the 'Business Roundtable: US-Bangladesh Business Council' event on the same day. The prime minister delivered a speech at the 'White House Global COVID-19 Summit: Ending the Pandemic and Building Back Better'. Additionally, she took part in an event discussing sustainable solutions to the Rohingya crisis during the UNGA. Hasina engaged in bilateral meetings with Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Vietnam President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, UN chief Guterres, and various other leaders in New York.