United States
US rules out notion of not recognising Hasina government
The United States has ruled out any perception that it does not recognise Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s fourth straight term.
At a regular briefing at the US Department of State on January 18, a journalist asked, “So, when you say that the election results in Bangladesh were not credible, free, or fair, does this imply that the US will not recognize Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s fourth straight term?”‘
In reply, US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said, “No, no.”
US wants to see the election carried out peacefully: State Dept Spokesperson
Miller said they are now encouraging the government of Bangladesh to credibly and transparently investigate the reports of violence, to hold perpetrators accountable.
“We urge all parties to reject political violence,” he said.
Miller said the US remains concerned by the arrest of political opposition members and by the reports of irregularities on election day.
US wants to see the election carried out peacefully: State Dept Spokesperson
“We regret that not all parties participated, and we condemn the violence that took place during elections and in the months leading up to it,” he said.
On Wednesday, US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas had a meeting with Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud and discussed how the two countries would work together on issues of mutual importance such as climate change, business opportunities and the Rohingya crisis.
“I look forward to working closely in the coming months to advance our relations based on mutual interest,” Haas said.
Free, fair and peaceful’ election continues to be the focus of US’ engagement with Bangladesh govt: State Dept Spokesperson
Peter Haas, Charles Whiteley to meet Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud today
Amid continuous greetings from Bangladesh's international friends and partners to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on her re-election, ambassadors of the United States (US) and the European Union (EU) are set to meet Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today (January 17, 2024) at his office.
US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas, who was criticised in the political arena before the January 7 national election, will meet the foreign minister at 12 pm today at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Later, EU Ambassador to Bangladesh Charles Whiteley will meet Minister Hasan Mahmud at 1 pm, according to the minister’s programme schedule.
Peter Haas to spend Christmas with family in India
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina formed her new cabinet on January 11 with a combination of new and old faces.
Even though the United States concluded that the election was not “free or fair,” it voiced commitment to work with Bangladesh.
The US ambassador also attended the oath-taking ceremony held at Bangabhaban recently.
“Looking ahead, the United States remains committed to partnering with Bangladesh to advance our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific, to supporting human rights and civil society in Bangladesh, and to deepening our people-to-people and economic ties,” said US State Department Spokesperson Mathew Miller a day after the election.
The European Union (EU) said it will continue to work with the government of Bangladesh on the priorities that characterise their longstanding relations in the political, human rights, trade and development spheres including the country’s possible future access to the GSP+ preferential trade scheme.
Labour rights critical to growth and sustainability of Bangladesh’s RMG sector: Peter Haas
"The EU strongly encourages all stakeholders to respect political pluralism, democratic values and international human rights standards and to engage in peaceful dialogue," said High Representative Josep Borrell Fontelles in a statement on behalf of the EU.
It is essential that the media, civil society and political parties can carry out their work without censorship or fear of reprisals, said the EU.
Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma met the foreign minister on Monday.He was the first foreign envoy to meet the foreign minister after formation of the new Cabinet.
Ruling out any external pressure, Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud on Sunday said Bangladesh will stick to its foreign policy principle – “friendship to all, malice towards none” – against the backdrop of a divided world.
US Ambassador Peter Haas holding meeting with Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen
“All the countries in the East and the West have expressed their willingness to work with us, with the government. At the end of the day, they are our development partners and we will work together,” he told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Foreign Minister is scheduled to leave for Uganda on Wednesday night to attend the 19th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).
Bangladesh elections were not free and fair: US
The United States shared the view with other observers that Sunday's (January 07, 2024) elections in Bangladesh "were not free or fair" and they regret that not all parties participated, the US State Department said.
The United States remains concerned by the arrests of political opposition members and by reports of irregularities on elections day, said US State Department spokesperson Mathew Miller in Washington on Monday (January 08, 2024).
Miller said the United States supports the people of Bangladesh and their aspirations for democracy, freedom of peaceful assembly, and freedom of expression.
Read: No legitimate grounds to warrant economic sanctions against Bangladesh: BGMEA
The United States, however, recognised that the Awami League won a majority of seats in the January 7, 2024 parliamentary elections, he said.
"Looking ahead, the United States remains committed to partnering with Bangladesh to advance our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific, to supporting human rights and civil society in Bangladesh, and to deepening our people-to-people and economic ties," said Miller.
He said the United States condemned violence that took place during elections and in the months leading up to it.
Read: Awami League not worried about any sanctions: Quader
The US encouraged the government of Bangladesh to credibly investigate reports of violence and to hold perpetrators accountable, said the spokesperson.
"We also urge all political parties to reject violence," Miller said.
Read more: Bangladeshis did not get fullest range of voting options: UK on Sunday’s election
"My read of this US readout on Bangladesh’s election is that the current US policy toward Dhaka will essentially remain in place-a continued strong focus on rights and democracy, but otherwise stay the course and keep pursuing deeper strategic partnership," said Michael Kugelman.
"US government statement on Bangladesh elections acknowledges AL win, criticizes process, condemns violence, and looks forward to continued partnership," said Geoffrey Macdonald.
13-year-old American believed to be first person ever to beat Tetris
A 13-year-old boy from Oklahoma, United States, is believed to be the first person to defeat Tetris since the game's introduction more than three decades ago.In a video released on Tuesday, the Oklahoma boy, known online as Blue Scuti and by his legal name, Willis Gibson, is seen playing for around 38 minutes and reaching level 157 before stating, "Oh, I missed it," assuming that a misplaced block foiled his attempts, reports The Guardian.
Video Games Releasing in January 2024: A Comprehensive Guide to New ReleasesBut he recovers, and when the blocks fall, he repeats, "Please crash," and completes another line of blocks, the Tetris method for collecting points. The game freezes, indicating de facto victory, and he shouted, "Oh my God! Yes! I’m going to pass out. I can’t feel my hands.” His score read “999999,” it said.Previously, only artificial intelligence-powered bots could push the game, initially launched on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), to its "kill screen," when its blocks fall so quickly that the game itself cannot continue.
China approves 105 online games after draft curbs trigger massive losses“It’s never been done by a human before. It’s basically something that everyone thought was impossible until a couple of years ago,” Vince Clemente, president of the Classic Tetris World Championship, told the New York Times.The game was launched in 1989. According to the New York Times, Willis practices 20 hours a week on a cathode-ray tube television, the report said.
Epic Games wins antitrust lawsuit against Google over barriers to its Android app storeWillis dedicated his victory to his father who died last month.
Willis, according to 404 Media, has become one of United States' best competitive Tetris players in just two years, using a newly trendy way of manipulating the NES controller known as "rolling". He first found the game on YouTube, where he posted a video of his victory, he told the Times.
US wants a ‘fair and transparent’ legal process regarding case against Prof Yunus
The United States has said it wants to see a fair and transparent legal process regarding the case against Nobel laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus.
"For our part, we have encouraged the Bangladeshi government to ensure a fair and transparent legal process," US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a regular media briefing at Washington on January 3.
The US State Department spokesperson said Yunus has made significant contributions to the alleviation of poverty around the world, as reflected in his Nobel Peace Prize and numerous other international honors.
Dr Yunus describes verdict as 'contrary to all legal precedent and logic'
He said they have been following the case against him closely.
"We’ve seen, of course, the widespread international criticism of the verdict," Miller said.
He said they will continue to follow any further developments closely.
On Monday, Labour Court No.3 of Dhaka, sentenced the microfinance pioneer and three top officials of Grameen Telecom to six months’ jail in a case over violations of the labor law.
Verdict against Dr Yunus an outcome of AL govt’s political vengeance: Ganatantra Mancha
In a statement published by Yunus Centre, Yunus said, “As my lawyers have convincingly argued in court, this verdict against me is contrary to all legal precedent and logic.”
He pledged to serve the countrymen and the social business movement to the best of his ability.
“I call for the Bangladeshi people to speak in one voice against injustice and in favor of democracy and human rights for each and every one of our citizens,” said the 83-year-old.
Yunus, along with three Grameen Telecom officials, managed to avoid prison, as they were granted bail.
Responding to a question on January 7 polls, US Spokesperson Miller again said they support a free and fair election in Bangladesh.
"We have made that quite clear a number of times. We will watch the elections very closely," he said.
But of course, the US State Department spokesperson added, he would never speculate in advance about what actions they may or may not take in response to any development.
Dr Yunus was sentenced by court, AL not responsible for it: Quader
JN.1 Covid variant: WHO charts its rapid global spread
A sub-variant of the Omicron strain of coronavirus has been classified as a "variant of interest" by the World Health Organization, because of "its rapidly increasing spread".
JN.1 has been found in many countries around the world, including India, China, UK and the United States, reports BBC.
The risk to the public is currently low and current vaccines continue to offer protection, the WHO says.
But it warns Covid and other infections could rise this winter.
Respiratory viruses such as flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and childhood pneumonia are also on the rise in the northern hemisphere.
China emerged from 'zero-COVID' in 2023 to confront new challenges in a changed world
The virus which causes Covid is constantly changing over time and sometimes this leads to new variants developing.
Omicron has been the globally dominant variant for some time.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is currently tracking a number of variants of interest linked to Omicron - including JN.1 - although none of them are deemed to be concerning.
But JN.1 is spreading quickly in many corners of the world.
It is currently the fastest-growing variant in the United States, according to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, accounting for 15-29% of infections.
Bangladesh among 5 countries selected for project to strengthen preparedness to COVID-19, other infectious diseases
The UK Health Security Agency says JN.1 currently makes up around 7% of positive Covid tests analysed in a lab. It said it would continue to monitor all available data on this and other variants.
Winter surge
JN.1 is spreading fast in all regions, probably because it has an additional mutation in the spike protein compared to the BA.2.86 variant from which it's descended.
"It is anticipated that this variant may cause an increase in Sars-Cov-2 [coronavirus] cases amid a surge of infections of other viral and bacterial infections, especially in countries entering the winter season," the WHO's risk assessment says.
There is still limited evidence on how capable JN.1 is of getting round the immunity offered by vaccines, the WHO says.
Bangladesh registers 5 new Covid-19 cases in 24hrs
There are no reports of people becoming more ill with this variant than previous ones.
But more studies are needed to work out the health impact, the WHO says, as the number of countries reporting data on people admitted to hospital with Covid has dramatically reduced.
To prevent infections and severe disease, the WHO advises:
• wear a mask in crowded, enclosed areas• cover up coughs and sneezes• clean your hands regularly• stay up to date with Covid and flu vaccinations, especially if vulnerable• stay home if ill• get tested if you have symptoms
US may take any measure with the excuse of labor issues, politics: Bangladesh Embassy letter
The Bangladesh Embassy in Washington DC has said the political context of the US "Presidential Memorandum on Advancing Worker Empowerment, Rights, and High Labor Standards Globally" has many "reasons to be alarmed".
"Politics is behind what is said about labor rights in the memorandum, and the US would try to use the political purpose in different ways," said the embassy in a letter based on observation it made on the recently launched US initiative.
Therefore, the "memorandum" is a signal for Bangladesh as the US may take any measure as described in the memorandum with the excuse of labor issues, the document seen by UNB reads.
"The memorandum may also have an impact on Bangladesh's apparel sector, and it should be taken into cognizance with priority by the concerned stakeholders," it said.
The report on an initial compiled report on the "Memorandum on advancing worker empowerment, rights and high labour standards globally" issued by the US president and launched by Secretary of State Anthony Blinken was also forwarded.
USA will support Bangladesh after election: Momen
Though the "memorandum" appears to be a global policy applicable for all countries, there are reasons to believe that Bangladesh may be one of the targets, said the embassy.
Labor issues in Bangladesh were specifically quoted by the secretary of state and acting secretary of labor at the launching ceremony.
US State Dept spokesperson says will ‘refrain from being drawn into’ internal Bangladeshi political matters
As per the "memorandum", the US foreign mission would directly interact/deal with labor issues, the policy may encourage the interested US diplomats/missions to interfere in many internal/ domestic issues.
"It seems that there are scopes for this policy to be imposed at individual, firm, or state level, if they anticipate/believe the labors' rights are violated," reads the document signed by the Minister (Commerce) at the Embassy to the senior secretary at the Ministry of Commerce.
‘Discussed cooperation on dev and importance of protecting democracy’: US State Dept Counselor meets Momen
The US Presidential Memorandum was rolled out on November 16.
The United States said they will work to “hold accountable those who threaten, intimidate, attack union leaders, labor rights defenders, labor organizations – including using things like sanctions, trade penalties and visa restrictions” – all the tools in their kit.
Bangladesh Armed Forces at the forefront of bringing world peace, US Army Deputy Chief says
Deputy Chief of Staff of US Army, Lieutenant General Patrick Matlock, has highly praised the Bangladesh Armed Forces for their contribution to safeguarding national independence and establishing world peace.
Speaking as the chief guest at a reception hosted by the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington, he said the Bangladesh Armed Forces have been at the forefront of security and national independence, providing relief to fellow citizens in times of natural disasters, sheltering the destitute and bringing peace and stability around the globe.
Noting that Bangladesh is the world’s largest troop contributor to the United Nations Peacekeeping Operation, Lieutenant General Matlock said the world is grateful for the sacrifice in the contribution of the Bangladeshi troops.
He pointed out the partnership between the armed forces of Bangladesh and the US, and welcomed the continued expansion of this partnership for peace and prosperity in the years to come.
The Bangladesh Embassy in Washington DC hosted the reception at the Bangabandhu Auditorium of the embassy on Tuesday to celebrate the 52nd Armed Forces Day, the embassy said on Thursday.
Bangladesh Ambassador to the United States Muhammad Imran and Defence Attaché of the Embassy Brigadier General Md Shahedul Islam spoke at the event.
Lieutenant General Gerry Glavy, Deputy Commandant of US Marine Corps; Afreen Akhter, US Deputy Assistant Secretary at the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs; Lieutenant Colonel Seamas Whitsel, Director for South Asia Regional Affairs of US National Security Council, joined the reception, among others.
BNP-Jamaat want to grab power by burning people: PM Hasina tells Armed Forces Day reception
Alternate Executive Director of the World Bank Dr. Ahmad Kaikaus was also present at the function.
Ambassador Imran paid deepest homage to the architect of Bangladesh, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who led the nation to achieve its long-cherished independence.
He also recalled with profound respect three million martyrs, including the members of the armed forces, for their great sacrifice in the War of Liberation.
He mentioned the multifaceted collaboration between the armed forces of Bangladesh and the United States, saying that the two countries share convergent views on a range of defense and security issues.
The ambassador said as a development partner and friend, the US has extended support to Bangladesh in the past in its development journey, and Bangladesh looks forward to working together closely with further engagements to take the relations to new heights.
Defence Attaché of Bangladesh Embassy Brigadier General Md Shahedul Islam welcomed the guests at the reception and thanked the US for the support and cooperation extended that is mutually beneficial for the two countries.
Minister (Political) Md. Rashedujjaman conducted the program.
The function began with the national anthems of Bangladesh and the United States.
Then a short documentary on the activities of the Bangladesh Armed Forces was screened.
Ambassadors, diplomats and defense attaches from a number of countries, senior officials from the Pentagon, Department of State, and other US organizations, members of Bangladeshi diaspora and embassy officials and employees attended the function.
The program ended with the cutting of a cake by the chief guest in presence of other dignitaries.
Armed Forces Day: Chiefs of three services call on President Shahabuddin
US wants to see the election carried out peacefully: State Dept Spokesperson
The United States has reiterated its desire to see a "free and peaceful" election in Bangladesh as the country is heading for the national polls scheduled for January 7, 2024.
"We want to see a free and peaceful election in Bangladesh. We want to see the elections carried out peacefully," US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a regular briefing in Washington on November 21.
Read: Netherlands to support initiative to address negative gender stereotypes, promote gender equality in Bangladesh
He said that has been the US policy, as he has made clear a number of times.
Asked whether the US will condemn the political violence "orchestrated by BNP" in the context of human rights that the US cares about, Miller said, "I think I answered that with my previous answer."
Read: France very much aware of specific climate vulnerabilities of Bangladesh: Ambassador Masdupuy
The Election Commission has already announced the next general election schedule for January 7.
The main opposition party BNP is yet to take any decision to join the polls, while enthusiasm is seen among supporters of Bangladesh Awami League and likeminded parties who are joining the polls.
US Secretary of State outlined how they engage with govts, workers to protect labor rights: State Dept Spokesperson
The United States has said it will continue to engage with the government, opposition, civil society, other stakeholders to urge them to work together for the benefit of Bangladeshis, to ensure “free and fair” elections conducted in a peaceful manner.
“We do not take a position in favor of one party or the other. We want what the Bangladeshi people themselves want: free and fair elections which are conducted in a peaceful matter,” Spokesperson at the US Department of State Mathew Miller told reporters in a regular media briefing in Washington on November 20.
Read: No political issues on agenda for foreign secretary's meeting with Indian counterpart: Momen
The US State Department spokesperson again mentioned the attempt to draw him into Bangladesh’s internal issues, and reiterated that he is going to continue to refrain from doing so.
“So I appreciate the urge – the repeated urge, I should say – to try and draw me into internal Bangladeshi matters, but I am going to continue to refrain from doing so and just state, as I said before, that our goal for the election in Bangladesh is what it has always been: free and fair elections conducted in a peaceful manner,” he added.
Miller also said the US Secretary of State outlined how they engage with governments, workers, labor organizations, trade unions, civil society, and the private sector around the world to protect and promote respect for internationally recognized labor rights.
Read: US to hold accountable those who threaten, intimidate, attack union leaders, labour rights defenders, labour orgs
“We will continue to do that in Bangladesh and elsewhere in the world,” he said.
“We condemn the recent violence against workers in Bangladesh protesting over the minimum wage, as well as the criminalization of legitimate worker and trade union activities,” Miller said.
He said they are also “concerned” about the ongoing repression of workers and trade unions.
“Our principle, as we have stated before, is that government must ensure that workers are able to exercise their rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining without fear of violence, reprisal, or intimidation,” Miller said.
Read: It's up to Bangladeshis, their democratic system, says India about polls
Through their work in Bangladesh and elsewhere in the world, the US State Department spokesperson said they are firmly committed to advancing those fundamental human rights.