United News of Bangladesh

Providing shelter to Sheikh Hasina and allowing her to engage in political activities are making it harder to rebuild public trust in Bangladesh-India relations, Ambassador Mushfiqul Fazal Ansarey has said. “India needs to make greater efforts to understand the aspirations of the people of Bangladesh and other neighbouring countries. Providing shelter to Sheikh Hasina and allowing her to engage in political activities makes rebuilding public trust even more difficult,” he said. Mushfiqul, a senior secretary-ranked ambassador attached to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, made the remarks on Friday evening while speaking at a discussion on Winds of Change: Geopolitics at the Crossroads of South and Southeast Asia, a new book by Asanga Abeyagoonasekera, at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. The discussion focused on great-power rivalry, US-China and China-India geopolitics, and democracy and human rights in South and Southeast Asia, said a press release.

Speakers at a seminar on Saturday said Bangladesh and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia need to move beyond traditional manpower export and build a broader strategic partnership focusing on skilled migration, investment, trade diversification, technology and human capital development. They stressed the need to align Bangladesh’s workforce development with Saudi Arabia’s changing labour market demands under its Vision 2030 programme, while ensuring fair recruitment, workers’ rights and better protection for migrant workers. Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) and the Center for Migration Studies (CMS) of North South University (NSU) jointly hosted the seminar titled “From Workforce to Strategic Partnership: Reimagining Bangladesh-KSA Relations” at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir attended the seminar as the chief guest, while Foreign Ministry Secretary (Bilateral - East & West) Md Nazrul Islam was present as the special guest.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s upcoming visit to Japan will focus on strengthening bilateral relations, deepening economic partnerships and increasing investment, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir said on Saturday. "Our diplomatic relationship is strong, and our investment relationship is strong. Our main priorities during the Japan visit will be to strengthen bilateral relations, deepen economic partnerships and increase investment," he told reporters after attending a seminar titled “From Workforce to Strategic Partnership: Reimagining Bangladesh-KSA Relations”. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is likely to leave Dhaka for a four-day visit to Japan on October 26.

Noting that Bangladesh is positively considering the Makkah Defence Agreement, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir on Saturday reiterated that peace and stability in the Middle East and the Muslim world are central to its consideration of the Makkah Defence Agreement. Talking to reporters after a seminar at the Foreign Service Academy, he said maintaining peace in the region encompassing Makkah and Madinah is a key objective, adding that Bangladesh could deploy its peacekeeping expertise more effectively and extensively across the world. Kobir said initiatives regarding participation in the agreement or association with the alliance are being considered positively, with regional peace and stability remaining the priority. He said any decision will be guided by national interests and the potential contribution of the country's peacekeeping expertise to regional peace and stability. He said the next chapter of Bangladesh-Saudi Arabia relations should therefore be defined by value creation rather than volume alone. “We are having positive discussions on the Makkah Defence Agreement. We are viewing it positively,” he said while addressing the national seminar at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital. “If it falls within the national interests of Bangladesh and converges, and we feel that our peacekeeping expertise can add value in serving Muslim nations and keeping a stable, peaceful Middle East, then there is every scope to take a positive decision on the matter,” he said. The state minister also said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman had accepted an invitation from Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince to visit the Kingdom. “He has accepted and will do so at some point very soon,” Kobir said.  

Nobel Laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus on Friday congratulated Judge Navi Pillay on being awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her lifelong commitment to justice, human rights and accountability. In a statement, Yunus said, “I warmly congratulate Judge Navi Pillay on being awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize. “Judge Pillay has given her life to justice. Her work against apartheid, at the United Nations and on the international bench has shown that peace cannot last without the rule of law. She has held the powerful to account and stood with those who have no voice. “This prize honours her courage and integrity. It is also a reminder that justice and peace belong together. “I extend my best wishes to her.”

Bangladesh on Friday strongly condemned the recent Houthi attacks on civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, including airports. Such attacks violate international law and threaten innocent lives and regional stability, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Bangladesh said it stands in full solidarity with the government and people of the Kingdom and called for an immediate end to these attacks. An airline pilot was among three Saudi citizens killed in attacks targeting Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport and a Saudia aircraft, the kingdom’s civil aviation authority said on Friday. Several people “of different nationalities” were wounded, reports AP. The attacks on Thursday were the deadliest in Saudi Arabia since the kingdom and allied forces in neighboring Yemen launched a major military offensive against Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels last weekend. They also marked a significant escalation on the latest front in the Iran war, which has kept oil prices and financial markets volatile. U.N. Special Envoy Hans Grundberg was scheduled to brief the Security Council on developments in Yemen later on Friday. Hundreds of flights to and from Riyadh were canceled on Thursday, according to flight-tracking site FlightAware.

The government of Bangladesh and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) are carrying forward their long-standing partnership with two investments worth a combined US$ 324 million to strengthen climate resilience, rural livelihoods and food systems. Implemented by national institutions with partners, the investments aim to reach 2.5 million people by improving rural infrastructure and climate information while expanding access to finance, skills, markets and nutritious food. The partnership reached two milestones with the launch of the $112 million Climate Resilience and Livelihood Enhancement Project (CRALEP), in partnership with the government of Denmark. It follows the launch of the $212 million Growth for Climate Resilient and Environmental Entrepreneurship and Nutrition (GREEN) project. “Bangladesh's partnership with IFAD has grown over nearly 50 years to include financing, innovation, technical assistance, and the scaling up of successful approaches,” said Moslema Naznin, chief of the Coordination and NORDIC Wing at the Economic Relations Division (ERD) of the Ministry of Finance on Friday. “These two investments address connected priorities for rural development: infrastructure that withstands climate shocks and the finance, skills and market opportunities to build more secure livelihoods,” she said. Each investment is delivered through a national institution and answers a different constraint faced by rural households and enterprises. CRALEP will be implemented by the Local Government Engineering Department, with a focus on the flood-prone Haor and drought-prone High Barind regions. GREEN will be implemented by the Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation under the Financial Institutions Division, working across the Haor, coastal, High Barind and river char areas. Together, they pair physical resilience with economic opportunities. "These two projects reflect a shared commitment to support rural communities to adapt and prosper in a changing climate," said IFAD Country Director and Representative in Bangladesh Valantine Achancho. “Each project has its own role, but both are designed to give women, young people and rural families stronger foundations for their livelihoods, closely aligned with the government’s priorities,” he said. Over six years, CRALEP aims to reach 1.45 million people across 33 upazilas, IFAD said on Friday. It will improve village roads, rural markets and boat landing facilities. In the Haor, it will also support village services, raised shelters for people and harvested crops, and nature-based protection against erosion. Flash flood early warning in the Haor and drought forecasting in the High Barind will help communities prepare for climate risks. Vocational and entrepreneurship training will expand opportunities for young people, while labour contracting societies will support employment for poor women. The project brings three partners into a single financing package: $70 million in IFAD financing, $10 million in government of Denmark grant financing and approximately $31.75 million from the government of Bangladesh. “The intervention we are looking at is very timely, and combining climate resilience with livelihood enhancement, which is what the project is all about, is very important. We hope this will reduce the negative impacts of climatic variability and increase community resilience,” said Deputy Head of Mission at the Danish Embassy in Dhaka Anders B Karlsen. GREEN is a six-year investment that aims to reach more than 250,000 rural households. It will support climate-resilient and environmentally responsible food systems, inclusive financial services and stronger institutional capacity. Through finance combined with technical assistance, skills, green technologies and market partnerships, the project aims to create employment and increase incomes of small-scale producers and rural entrepreneurs. It will also support safer and more nutritious food and reduce post-harvest losses. GREEN includes $51.4 million in IFAD financing. Bangladesh and IFAD have worked together since 1978, with 39 projects representing a total investment of approximately $4.9 billion, including $1.1 billion in IFAD’s own funds. That cooperation has reached 11.7 million rural households, supporting small-scale agriculture, rural finance and value chain development. CRALEP and GREEN build on that record, applying proven approaches in new geographies and deepening climate adaptation and access to finance for rural people.

The government of Bangladesh convicted fewer traffickers and did not take adequate steps to address internal trafficking crimes, which remained pervasive, said the United States in its latest report released on October 8. The government of Bangladesh does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so, said the report. The government demonstrated overall increasing efforts compared with the previous reporting period; therefore, Bangladesh remained on Tier 2. These efforts included passing the Prevention and Suppression of Human Trafficking and Smuggling of Migrants Ordinance 2026 to strengthen the legal framework to combat trafficking, increasing investigations and prosecutions, updating the human trafficking crime and victim identification guidelines, and piloting a digital NRM to increase timeliness and coordination of referrals to protection services. The government also strengthened protections for migrant workers to reduce vulnerabilities to trafficking. However, the government did not meet the minimum standards in several key areas. The government identified fewer victims, and victim protection and reintegration efforts remained insufficient, particularly for Rohingya refugees and returning Bangladeshi migrant workers. Additionally, the government continued to permit worker-paid recruitment fees that rendered many migrant workers indebted, increasing their vulnerability to trafficking. Spokesman at the US Department of State Thomas Tommy Pigott said human trafficking is a direct assault on the values of freedom and dignity that define America.  The 2026 Trafficking in Persons Report reveals new ways criminal organizations and repressive regimes use this abhorrent practice for financial gain. The report also called for accountability for governments that fail to punish traffickers and protect their citizens.  The Trump Administration will use all available tools to fight traffickers and their enablers and bring them to justice, said the Spokesman. 

A Bangladeshi student at Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, has been killed in a road accident in the Austrian city. The deceased, Tasnim Oishi, died in the accident in the Indian Ocean Drive area of Perth around 7:45am local time on Thursday, according to a statement issued by the Bangladesh High Commission in Canberra. The High Commission expressed deep sorrow over her untimely death and conveyed its heartfelt condolences to her bereaved family. The Bangladeshi International Students Association Perth (BISAP) also expressed profound grief over Oishi’s death, saying the tragedy deeply saddened the Bangladeshi student community. In a statement, BISAP extended its condolences to her family, friends, classmates and loved ones and prayed for the eternal peace of her soul. The association also prayed that Almighty Allah grant her Jannatul Firdaus and give her family the strength to bear the irreparable loss.

KOICA Bangladesh and the KOICA Bangladesh Alumni Association (KBAA) hosted Alumni Night 2026 in Dhaka on Thursday, bringing together alumni, senior government officials, representatives of South Korea and development partners to highlight the institutional impact of Korean training programmes. The event was held at Sheraton Dhaka in collaboration with KBAA. State Minister for Planning Zonayed Abdur Rahim Saki attended the programme as the chief guest, while South Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh Kim Ji-joon attended as a distinguished guest. KOICA Bangladesh Country Director Jihoon Kim led the event. Speaking at the programme, Saki congratulated KBAA and appreciated its role in sharing knowledge gained through training in Korea with government institutions and the next generation. “Your dedication to sharing what you learned in Korea with your institutions and the next generation is truly commendable,” he said, adding that KBAA’s contribution is helping strengthen the Korea-Bangladesh partnership. Ambassador Kim Ji-joon said KOICA alumni serve as “living bridges” between Bangladesh and South Korea and expressed confidence that the network would become stronger. Jihoon Kim said Korea’s development cooperation extends beyond individual training programmes through the knowledge alumni bring back to their institutions. “Our partnership does not end with a training program,” he said. “The knowledge you bring back to your institutions is what makes our cooperation lasting.” The event also highlighted how KOICA alumni have applied their training in their respective institutions and shared their expertise with government colleagues and young people through KBAA’s knowledge-sharing activities. The programme was supported by the KBAA Executive Committee, including President Md Saifullah Panna, Secretary (Attached) at the Ministry of Public Administration; Vice President Nazma Mobarek, Secretary of the Financial Institutions Division at the Ministry of Finance; and General Secretary Md Forhad Siddique, Inspector General (Additional Secretary) of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments under the Ministry of Labour and Employment. The executive committee facilitated alumni participation and engagement across the KBAA network. The evening also recognised government counterparts and development partners supporting KOICA’s cooperation and the alumni network.