Foreign Affairs
Nepal for promoting economic partnership with Bangladesh as centerpiece of bilateral relations
Nepalese Ambassador to Bangladesh Ghanshyam Bhandari has underscored the need for promoting economic partnership as the centerpiece of Bangladesh-Nepal relations.
He also shed light on the strong bilateral cooperation existing between Nepal and Bangladesh in areas including trade, transit, energy, tourism, connectivity, and education.
The Nepalese Embassy hosted a reception on Wednesday evening to celebrate the National Day and Constitution Day of Nepal.
Bangladesh keen to export readymade garments to Nepal, seeks collaboration to unlock opportunities
The Ambassador highlighted that the day was a reminder of the moment in which political issues were settled and democratic gains institutionalized with the promulgation of the constitution in 2015.
FM Momen for strengthening trade, investment ties with African nations
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has highlighted the imperative of tapping into unexplored trade opportunities between Bangladesh and African countries.
He attended at an interaction session held on Thursday at the Commonwealth Trade and Investment Forum Bangladesh 2023 in Dhaka.
Bangladesh sends humanitarian aid to flood-affected Libya
Momen underscored the critical need to establish robust trade and investment relations with African countries, particularly in key sectors such as pharmaceuticals, textiles, energy, blue economy and information and communication technology (ICT).
The session also shed light on Bangladesh's visionary 'Look Africa' policy, which represents a strategic commitment to bolster relations with African nations.
This outlines various areas of cooperation, including trade and the economy, education, IT and ICT, air and maritime connectivity, healthcare, contract farming, people-to-people contact and visa waivers for diplomatic and official passport holders. This multifaceted approach demonstrates Bangladesh's dedication to fostering deeper connections with the African continent.
CWEIC chairman applauds Bangladesh’s “incredible” economic success story
The foreign minister also stated that Bangladesh is one of the world's fastest-growing economies.
The country's focus on enhancing engagement with African nations aligns with its ambitious economic and social development trajectory, aimed at achieving Vision 2041 and creating a Smart Bangladesh.
He also highlighted that new African markets have opened doors for Bangladeshi enterprises, leading to diversification in export destinations.
Despite challenges, the potential for economic cooperation between Bangladesh and African nations remains promising, Momen said.
Devastation in Libya: Bangladesh PM expresses deep shock
He also stated that Bangladesh will welcome any election observers from African countries in our upcoming National Parliament Election scheduled to be held in early January 2024.
Ministers from several African countries, High level government delegates and business entities attended this event.
Bangladesh maintains friendly relations equally with all: PM Hasina
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said Bangladesh has been maintaining a friendly relationship equally with all for the sake of uplifting the socio-economic condition of the people.
“We’ve a very good relationship with every country. Since we’re following the policy the Father of the Nation had given us, we’re maintaining a friendly relation equally with all. Because, our goal is to uplift the socio-economic condition of our country’s people,” she said.
The premier was addressing the Bangladesh Navy and Bangladesh Air Force Selection Board-2023 at the Secretariat of Navy Chief here in the city.
Hasina said her government has successfully been improving the socio-economic condition of the country’s people.
She also extended her sincere thanks to the armed forces and all others concerned for their cooperation with the government’s goal to improve the life of the people.
Read: Threat to remove govt or any sanctions will bring no gain: PM
“We’ll not engage in a war with anyone. We’ll maintain a friendly relation with all,” she said, adding that her government has successfully been able to maintain such a relation as well.
The PM said Bangladesh has been moving forward following the ‘Friendship to All Malice towards None’ policy, which was incorporated by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the Foreign Policy.
“We don’t want war with anyone. We want to live in peace. But we’ll have to have all sorts of preparations to safeguard our independence and sovereignty,” she said, stressing the need for modernizing the country’s armed forces.
Promote patriotic, competent officers in Navy and Air Force: PM to selection board
The premier praised the tabulated record and comparative evaluation method followed in case of promotion of Navy and Air Force officers, describing it as a modern and logic-based system.
She asked the selection board to carry out a prudent and neutral assessment to pick the officers who have high morality, morale, knowledge on practical aspects, patriotism, spirit of liberation war, sense of responsibility and instant decision-making power and prudence for the promotion in the two forces.
Read: Stay awake like sentinels for progress of Bangladesh: PM Hasina urges BCL
"You should choose the officers, who are good in taking decisions at any time and capable of gaining success by applying their prudence in any situation, for the leadership positions,” she said.
She said the country’s armed forces stand beside the people in every disaster and tough time. “You have been able to earn the trust and confidence of the people, which is the biggest matter,” she said.
The PM said her government has successfully taken the country forward and raised its dignity on the international stage after assuming power in 2009.
“We’ve earned self-dependency economically. Not only that, a brightened image of Bangladesh has also been created before the entire world. Bangladesh has been able to emerge as a role model for development,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina focused on her government’s various successes and steps taken for modernizing the armed forces.
Denmark committed to support Bangladesh’s aspirations for climate-oriented economic growth: Danish Minister
Danish Minister for Development Cooperation and Global Climate Policy Dan Jannik Jørgensen on Wednesday signed an agreement in Bagerhat to extend the Local Government Initiative on Climate Change (LoGIC) project for two years from June 2023 to June 2025.
Danish Ambassador to Bangladesh Winnie Estrup Petersen and UNDP Resident Representative Stefan Liller were present.
With a funding support of 40m Danish Kroner (USD 5.6m approximately) from the Danish government, the extension phase of LoGIC will be implemented in two districts of the Chattogram Hill Tracts (CHT) – namely Rangamati and Bandarban.
Also Read: Bangladesh, Denmark launch action plan to strengthen partnership on green transition
The purpose is to strengthen communities’ resilience to the impact of climate change through locally-led adaptation strategies.
The dignitaries from Denmark, along with representatives of UNDP and UNCDF, visited Mongla in Bagerhat to observe and understand the impact of climate change and how both agencies are building climate resilience through innovative and locally-led solutions.
Minister Jannik Jørgensen, during his visit to climate-affected areas in Mongla took note of the adaptive measures taken by the affected communities to strengthen their resilience against climate change.
Also Read: Bangladesh, Denmark joint action plan for 2023-2028 to be launched soon
He said Denmark values the strong and longstanding bilateral relation with Bangladesh.
"Recognising that Bangladesh is at the forefront of the climate crisis, Denmark is committed to supporting Bangladesh’s aspirations for climate-oriented economic growth and green transition in the years of graduation from the group of LDCs. Denmark is also one of the few development partners that have engaged long term in the CHT, most recently with a focus on climate resilience of communities.” Dan Jannik Jørgensen added.
Also Read: Bangladesh, Denmark sign Tk 474 crore framework agreement to implement dev programme
Winnie Estrup Petersen, Danish Ambassador to Bangladesh, said, “Given the significant climate vulnerability of the region, Denmark will continue to support UNDP and UNCDF in the CHT through LoGIC. This model strengthens the national fiscal transfer systems for the channelling of climate adaptation funding to local governments and ensures institutional and financial sustainability.”
Bangladesh is often cited as one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations, and it is the poor who are disproportionately affected, said Stefan Liller, Resident Representative of UNDP Bangladesh.
Also Read: Danish Minister Dan Jørgensen in Dhaka
"As such, we must focus on increasing communities' resilience to the impact of climate change. To this end, we here at UNDP, Bangladesh continue to work on mainstreaming climate change into local level planning and financing processes by blending scientific knowledge with local expertise to identify climate risks and support effective adaptation measures,” Stefan Liller mentioned.
In 2016, the government of Bangladesh (GoB), the European Union (EU), and the Government of Sweden, together with UNDP and UNCDF, jointly designed the ‘Local Government Initiative on Climate Change’ (LoGIC) project to develop a mechanism to deliver climate finance to the most vulnerable households and local government institutions for building resilience and promoting local action on climate change adaptation at scale.
Leveraging Bangladesh's strategic location: Foreign Secretary highlights scope of trilateral partnership with India, Japan
Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen on Wednesday underscored the potential of a trilateral partnership among Bangladesh, India and Japan -- leveraging Bangladesh's strategic location.
He said this partnership would focus on investment, market development, and enhanced connectivity, with India's growing economy and Japan's capital surplus playing crucial roles.
Speaking at a policy colloquium, the Foreign Secretary also urged Japan to expand its BIG-B initiative for regional prosperity and sustainable development.
Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Iwama Kiminori emphasized the rising geopolitical significance of Bangladesh in the global context.
The policy colloquium titled ‘From the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal: New Possibilities in the Bangladesh, Japan, India Trilateral Partnership’ was held at the Syndicate Hall of North South University (NSU).
The event was organized by the university's Center for Peace Studies (CPS) of the South Asian Institute of Policy and Governance (SIPG).
The session was chaired by Professor Atiqul Islam, Vice-Chancellor of NSU.
Former Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque; Dr. Selim Raihan, Executive Director of the South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM); Sabyasachi Dutta, Executive Director of Asian Confluence, India; and Dr. M Jashim Uddin, Associate Professor of Political Science and Sociology at NSU, also spoke at the event.
Dr. Selim Raihan observed that the Bangladesh, Japan, and India partnership could spur economic growth in Bangladesh through improved connectivity, trade efficiency, and infrastructure development.
Highlighting the importance of greater transparency, digitization of customs, and removing non-tariff barriers, Dr. Raihan suggested unrestricted foreign direct investment from Bangladesh to India to stimulate economic integration and industry growth.
Observing that India's northeast region (NER) is a crucial connector for Bangladesh with India and South and Southeast Asia, Dutta said that extensive connectivity in the region can foster a competitive business climate and stimulate regional trade and economic growth.
The colloquium also focused on the challenges that need to be overcome to ensure the success of the trilateral partnership, with a particular focus on border stabilization.
The historical links between Bangladesh and the North East Region (NER) of India and the role of Japan in rejuvenating these connections were also discussed.
During the open dialogue, panelists answered questions from students, faculty, and journalists, moderated by Professor Dr. Tawfique M. Haque, Director, CPS, and SIPG.
Professor Atiqul Islam hoped that the trilateral investment partnership would produce a positive impact for the entire region, encompassing India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan.
Pilot project of Rohingya repatriation to be executed at an early date, hopes Shahriar
Bangladesh's State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam has expressed optimism that the “pilot project” of Rohingya repatriation would be executed at an early date.
He thanked China for its “active role” in a trilateral initiative among Bangladesh, Myanmar and China to provide a platform for dialogue to promote the early return of the forcibly displaced Rohingyas to Myanmar.
Newly appointed Ambassador of China to Bangladesh Yao Wen met the State Minister for Foreign Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday (January 22, 2023) afternoon and discussed the issues of mutual interest.
Responding to a question on Rohingya repatriation, Ambassador Wen said they have a common objective with Bangladesh regarding repatriation of Rohingyas to their homeland.
Also Read: Will continue to work toward resolution of Rohingya issue: Japan
He recognised Bangladesh's "sacrifice" in hosting the huge number of Rohingyas and assured of playing its role for their repatriation.
“We discussed the issue. You pay a lot. You suffered a lot. You sacrificed a lot. We have the common objective (repatriation),”said Ambassador Wen.
Bangladesh is hosting over 1.1 million Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char and not a single Rohingya has been repatriated over the last six years.
The State Minister also highlighted the importance of establishing direct air connectivity and requested the Chinese Ambassador to consider Bangladesh as a suitable place for industry relocation from China, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Also Read: Over 3,500 desperate Rohingya attempted deadly sea crossings in 2022
The Chinese Ambassador showed interest to conclude a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on PPP for the growth of bilateral trade and commerce.
State Minister Alam hoped that the bilateral relations between the two countries would reach new heights during the tenure of the new Ambassador.
Both sides cordially exchanged views on bilateral and multilateral cooperation of mutual interests, including trade and investment, infrastructure development, connectivity and Covid situation.
Congratulating the new Ambassador on the Chinese New Year’s Day, the State Minister thanked China for being the largest bilateral trade partner of Bangladesh.
Read More: China will remain engaged in Bangladesh’s next stage of development journey: Momen
During the meeting, he also thanked the Chinese government for its support in dealing with Covid-19 pandemic and the repatriation of Bangladeshi students from China and their subsequent return to China to continue their higher studies.
He wished Ambassador Yao successful tenure in Bangladesh and assured him of full cooperation in discharge of his duties.
Dhaka-Tokyo relations to reach new heights; hopes Shahriar Alam
Highlighting Japan's cooperation in the socio-economic development of Bangladesh, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam on Monday hoped that bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Japan would reach new heights.
During the meeting with newly appointed Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Iwama Kiminori held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the State Minister thanked the government of Japan for providing technical and financial support for the implementation of the Metrorail project.
Ambassador Iwama sought the cooperation of the State Minister for Foreign Affairs in fulfilling his duties.
Welcoming the new Ambassador of Japan, the State Minister said that Japan is Bangladesh's single largest bilateral development partner and an important country for trade and investment.
Also Read: New Japanese envoy exchanges views on bilateral interests with foreign secretary
During the meeting, both sides cordially exchanged views on various issues of mutual interest, including Japanese development assistance, human resources development, Rohingya repatriation, cooperation in different multilateral fora etc.
The State Minister appreciated Japan’s continued support for repatriation of Rohingyas and expressed hope that Japan would continue to extend its support towards the early repatriation of the Rohingyas for the sake of peace and stability in the region.
State Minister Alam wished Ambassador Iwama successful tenure in Bangladesh and assured him of full cooperation in discharging his duties.
We remain better prepared in 2023: Shahriar Alam
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam on Sunday said the government remains better prepared in 2023 to achieve its goals overcoming the challenges both from domestic and international fronts.
"If it seems to be more challenging, I would say we remain better prepared for that," he said while talking to a small group of journalists at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The state minister described the year 2022 a very successful year in terms of its engagement with the international partners with opening of new markets.
He, however, said it is a failure that the Rohingya repatriation is yet to begin.
Also Read: Border killings not expected: Shahriar Alam
Shahriar Alam said they saw a kind of “overenthusiasm” (from diplomats) at the end of 2022 but they are handling it diplomatically.
He hoped that everyone will remain respectful to their “rules of engagements” as Bangladesh does not oppose those recommendations and advice which are beneficial for Bangladesh.
“Everyone appreciates that Bangladesh remains engaged and listens to….,” said the State Minister.
Regarding democracy, he said there is no “fit for all” formula for democracy and everyone knows it and Bangladesh is doing much better compared to other countries.
Responding to a question, Shahriar said the government remains engaged with the USA to withdraw sanctions on the Rab as an institution at least keeping in mind that Rab played a very strong role in combating terrorism and militancy in the country sacrificing their lives.
Also Read: Appropriate steps to be taken if diplomats cross boundary: Shahriar Alam
"Painfully, it's a slow process. We will strengthen our efforts," he said.
He said there is a need for a law to deal with misinformation and other issues but surely the Digital Security Act is not for harassing journalists.
Responding to a question on human rights issues, the State Minister said the UN member states know Bangladesh’s true intention.
Asked why the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had to share a non-paper note with foreign missions in Dhaka centering BNP’s December 10 programme, he said there was nothing wrong in it. “It’s a proactive engagement as they (diplomats) might have asked the questions on the issue the following day.”
The government says they shared the information with the foreign missions stationed in Dhaka to leave no room for "misinformation" and "confusion."
LDC Graduation: Bangladesh seeks continued support from Sweden
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam has said Bangladesh looks forward to Sweden’s continued support to make the LDC graduation smooth and sustainable.
He hoped that Bangladesh’s onward march to becoming a reliable partner in the global supply chain can be supported by Sweden.
State Minister Alam reaffirmed the pledge to work together with Sweden for the collective well-being of shared humanity and hoped that the relations between Bangladesh and Sweden would continue to grow in depth and dimensions in the coming days.
Read more: Sweden to partner UNFPA in projects worth over $10 million
Misinformation, fake news a grave concern, says Md Shahriar Alam
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam on Tuesday said the government is committed to ensure people’s right to know and respect freedom of speech.
However, the State Minister said that the increasing trend of misinformation and fake news has become a grave concern day by day.
“We all have to work in a responsible way. If we all work together, we shall be able to fight the mounting trend of misinformation and fake news,” he said while speaking as the chief guest at a discussion at Jatiya Press Club.
The Women Journalists Network Bangladesh (WJNB), in partnership with the High Commission of Canada in Bangladesh, organised the discussion on the “Importance of Digital Literacy to combat Hate Speech and Misinformation” under the project “Digital Literacy and Digital Safety”.
Read more: BNP ployed to press for right to peaceful assembly through violent means: Foreign Ministry tells diplomatic missions