Foreign-Affairs
Sweet Diplomacy: Ambassador Haas celebrates Cinnabon's arrival in Bangladesh with Bun-Buying Bonanza!
The US Embassy in Dhaka, alongside a delegation of guests, raised a cinnamon bun in a delectable display of cross-cultural culinary commerce!.
Nestled within the vibrant heart of Banani across from the Sheraton Hotel, the tantalizing scent of freshly baked buns wafted through the air, beckoning curious onlookers and seasoned dessert enthusiasts alike.
With a playful nod to the ambassador's penchant for diplomatic finesse, the ribbon-cutting ceremony unfolded amidst a chorus of cinnamon-infused excitement.
"Ambassadors often find themselves in sticky situations, but this is one I welcome joining in!" said Ambassador Peter Haas, his eyes gleaming with anticipation as he ordered lots of iconic swirls of Cinnabon's signature treats.
The ambassador's presence at the launch underscored more than just a culinary affair -- it marked a significant stride in strengthening bilateral ties between the United States and Bangladesh.
"Cinnabon's expansion into this market not only tantalizes taste buds but also bolsters our trade and investment relationship," he said, his smile as warm as the gooey centers of the freshly baked buns.
India’s FS Vinay Kwatra likely to be in Dhaka on April 20
Among the guests were John Fay, Foreign Commercial Service Officer, and Stephen Ibelli, Public Diplomacy Counselor of the U.S. Embassy, who echoed sentiments of excitement for the growing presence of American franchises in Bangladesh.
"Cinnabon joins a growing number of American franchises interested in operating in Bangladesh," noted Fay, emphasizing the role of American business interested in investing in Bangladesh fostering cultural exchange and economic cooperation.
With a wink and a nod to the future, the ambassador sealed the day's celebrations with a promise of more delectable delights to come.
"I look forward to seeing other famous American brands bring new options to Bangladesh diners and investing in the market," he declared, his words resonating with the promise of sweet success and savory partnerships on the horizon.
UNESCAP: PM Hasina to visit Thailand next week
As the aroma of cinnamon lingered in the air, Nilufa Heights on Kemal Ataturk Avenue stood as a beacon of gastronomic delight, inviting all who passed by to embark on a journey of indulgence and camaraderie, one irresistible bite at a time.
India’s FS Vinay Kwatra likely to be in Dhaka on April 20
Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra is likely to pay an official visit to Bangladesh on Saturday to discuss and review the entire gamut of bilateral relationship between the two countries.
Apart from his bilateral talks with his Bangladesh counterpart Masud Bin Momen, the Indian foreign secretary is due to meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud, a diplomatic source told UNB.
The visit is part of high-level exchanges between India and Bangladesh and to review progress in two countries' bilateral cooperation agenda.
However, details of his visit are yet to be known.
The government of India in March extended Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra's tenure by six months. Kwatra assumed charge as India’s foreign secretary on 1 May, 2022 and joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1988.
Bangladesh-India Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) were held in New Delhi on 24 November 2023.
FOC is an institutional dialogue mechanism between the two foreign secretaries to review the entire gamut of bilateral relationship.
UNESCAP: PM Hasina to visit Thailand next week
Both sides in bilateral forums usually discuss comprehensively a wide range of issues covering border and security, trade, commerce and connectivity, cooperation in water, power and energy sectors, people to people ties and development cooperation in Bangladesh.
Diplomatic sources indicate that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to India is planned after the conclusion of the neighbouring country’s national election, which is the world's largest democratic exercise, spanning seven phases from April 19 to June 1, with the vote count set for June 4.
Pre-election surveys suggest a strong showing for the coalition led by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is widely anticipated to secure re-election.
"Prime Minister's (Sheikh Hasina) India visit will definitely take place. However, it will take place after the election in India," FM Hasan said recently.
He said it is not yet discussed at the official level when the visit will exactly take place.
In January, Modi extended warm congratulations to PM Hasina on her electoral victory, expressing hopes for the continued strengthening of the historically close ties between India and Bangladesh.
Bangladesh, Greece vow to further strengthen bilateral relations
The last bilateral engagement between the two prime ministers occurred during the G-20 Leaders Summit in September 2023, where Bangladesh was the guest country.
PM Modi is expected to extend invitations to South Asian and BIMSTEC country leaders for his swearing-in ceremony, fostering regional cooperation.
UNESCAP: PM Hasina to visit Thailand next week
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to leave for Bangkok, Thailand on April 24 to attend the eightieth session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) which will be held from April 22 to 26 at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok.
Finance Minister AH Mahmood Ali, Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud and PM’s Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman F Rahman will accompany the prime minister during the visit, a senior official told UNB.
State Minister for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak and State Minister for Commerce Ahasanul Islam Titu will also be part of the Bangladesh delegation, he said.
Dhaka-Delhi relationship has to be nurtured, kept moving forward with fresh impetus: Shringla
Discussions are underway to add a bilateral component of the visit which might see signing of a half a dozen bilateral cooperation documents, said a diplomatic source.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to return home on April 27.
Guided by the theme “Leveraging digital innovation for sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific”, the eightieth session will be an opportunity to strengthen region-wide cooperative action on leveraging digital innovation for the accelerated implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The session will bring together government leaders and ministers from across Asia and the Pacific and other key stakeholders to discuss how digital innovation can more inclusively contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals across multiple disciplines.
Moreover, participants will be able to identify opportunities to fully unleash the transformative potential of digital innovations and discuss pathways to strengthen their contribution to sustainable development, said the organizers.
A digital innovation fair will provide space to engage with a broad range of partners and stakeholders showcasing digital innovations that are already contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals across the region.
Asia and the Pacific is uniquely placed to leverage digital technologies to overcome sustainable development challenges.
Bangladesh, Thailand nearing energy cooperation MOU: Nasrul Hamid
Already, the region is recognized as a dynamic hub for digitally driven innovation fueled by pioneering technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Digital Finance, GovTech, and the Internet of Things. Yet to encourage further ingenuity and tap digital innovation to bolster the huge collective effort required to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, the region needs a plan.
Bangladesh, Greece vow to further strengthen bilateral relations
Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud has requested Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis to encourage Greek businesses to import state of the art quality Bangladeshi items and urged him to facilitate the exports from Bangladesh.
The Greek Foreign Minister agreed on the need to enhance bilateral trade where there remains huge untapped potentials and stressed on the need to find a suitable strategy to help grow bilateral trade and investment, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Foreign Minister Hassan Mahmud and his Greek counterpart George Gerapetritis vowed to forge bilateral cooperation in different areas including migration and mobility, trade and investment, shipping, manpower and recruitment, development of renewable alternation energy infrastructure during a bilateral meeting held on Tuesday morning in the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center in Athens on the sidelines of the 9th Our Ocean Conference.
They also expressed satisfaction at the continuous cooperation and excellent bilateral relations between the two nations.
The Greek Foreign Minister also cordially accepted the invitation of Bangladesh Foreign Minister to visit Dhaka and mentioned that the visit can be a good option to inaugurate the Greek Diplomatic Mission there.
Earlier in the discussion, he assured the Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud that opening a Diplomatic Mission in Dhaka is a priority for the Greek government.
Foreign Minister Hassan thanked the Greek government for legalizing more than 10,000 Bangladeshi nationals who were living in Greece under the MoU on Migration and Mobility and called for smooth implementation of the second part of the MoU.
The Greek Foreign Minister stated that Greece prefers recruiting Bangladeshi professionals for their hard work and law abiding nature.
Greece will recruit a good number of Bangladeshi workers for its agriculture, tourism and hospitality and construction sector in the coming days.
Besides two ministers also agreed that meaningful cooperation between the two countries in the shipping sector can create a win-win situation as they complement each other and also agreed on building the legal framework for fruitful cooperation in the shipping sector.
Dhaka-Delhi relationship has to be nurtured, kept moving forward with fresh impetus: Shringla
Former Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla has said Bangladesh-India relationship is a relationship that has to be nurtured and kept moving forward through continuous cooperation.
“The relationship is not just moving forward, it is growing by leaps and bounds. We have to continue maintaining the momentum of the relations with fresh impetus,” he said while responding to a question in a podcast.
Shringla who served as High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh, joined Pratim Ranjan Bose to discuss global politics and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign policy.
Pratim Ranjan Bose is a media commentator, researcher, and consultant. He writes newspaper columns and appears on national TV.
Shringla, Chief Coordinator of India’s G20 Presidency in 2022-23, said Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have developed a very good relationship which is referred to as golden chapter for Dhaka-Delhi ties and two countries have addressed most of the irritants of the relations.
Responding to a question of the possibility of fresh Indian credit, he said every country has credit absorption capacity.
Shringla said India-Bangladesh relations are in a satisfactory stage and must move forward in every aspect including the line of credit. “It is very important to work closely for implementation of the projects.”
He appreciated PM Modi’s Neighbourhood First policy and highlighted that 50% of Indian line of credit is directed to the neighbourhood. “You cannot expect to prosper and develop if your neighbors are not doing the same.”
Cooperation during Covid-19 through sharing vaccines, exemption from recent ban on onion exports and trade facilitations are giving dividends, said the former Indian diplomat.
He said electricity cooperation with Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh will flourish and an under-sea electricity cable to Sri Lanka can bring long term stability to the island nation.
Responding to a question on reported “Boycott India” campaigns in the Maldives, Shringla said ties are too strong to be disturbed by *Boycott India* campaigns.
“I can tell you very safely that people of these two countries by and large have a very strong affinity and positive outlook,” he said, highlighting the engagement through tourism, medical care and education sector.
Shringla said the people to people relationship is the most vital PM Modi’s policy is very broad and foresighted when it comes to neighbours.
Asked about joining politics, Shringla said he is not formally in politics but he is happy to support those efforts for his country under the guidance of PM Modi and noted that India witnessed enormous transformation and achievements.
He said India wants a multipolar world with it being one of the poles. India surpassed all expectations under Modi and is facing resistance both from outside and inside but ready to move on,” he said.
Shringla also shed light on India-US relations noting that there are remarkable achievements. “US companies started investing heavily in India. The ties reached a stage where it will remain unaffected.”
Indo-Pacific and QUAD are very important to the USA and the cooperation will increase, he observed.
Shringla said India is committed to ensuring security of maritime trade through the Gulf of Aden and Suez.
He said India’s role in providing maritime security will rise in the western Indian ocean and perhaps even in the eastern Indian ocean.
“We have to display more robust participation in global security. Today we have been more proactive. Those efforts will continue. We have to ensure that we are part of the solution,” Shringhla said,m adding that, “We hope to see there will be greater stability.”
Bangladesh ranks 141 out of 164 on the Freedom Index
Strengthening basic freedoms accelerates economic growth over the long term, a US-based think tank’s data shows.
In Bangladesh, the data shows that the report’s Freedom Index, which includes political, economic, and legal components, has been declining for 22 consecutive years.
Digital Quality of Life Index 2023: Bangladesh ranks 82nd, internet quality 5% lower than global average
Bangladesh ranks 141 out of 164 on the Freedom Index, according to the US Embassy in Dhaka.
Bangladesh’s ranking of 141 on the Freedom Index places it within the "mostly unfree" category, said the US Embassy, adding that its ranking of 99 out of 164 on the Prosperity Index, categorizes it as "mostly unprosperous."
US Embassy Dhaka’s United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and The Asia Foundation jointly organised a “Prosperity and Good Governance Conference” on Tuesday to share findings from the Atlantic Council’s new global Freedom and Prosperity Report.
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“Every country grapples with issues like corruption and securing economic and political rights. The key lies not in avoiding problems, but in actively acknowledging and tackling them,” said US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas speaking at the event.
The Prosperity and Good Governance Conference brought together representatives from government, civil society, business, donors, academia, and think tanks.
Joseph Lemoine, Director of the Atlantic Council’s Freedom and Prosperity Center, was the keynote speaker.
Lemoine highlighted key findings from the report, which measures and ranks countries’ democratic and governance indicators in its Freedom Index, as well as its Prosperity Index that measures a nations’ economic well-being.
Bangladesh ranks first in South Asia in tackling Covid-19 pandemic: Health Minister
The Freedom and Prosperity Indexes are two separate indexes that rank 164 countries around the world according to their levels of freedom and prosperity.
“The data shows that countries with greater freedom tend to enjoy higher levels of prosperity, while those with less freedom tend to have lower levels of prosperity. Countries that promote political and economic freedoms, along with strong legal systems, create an environment that's more welcoming to foreign investors”, said Lemoine during his keynote presentation. Freer countries receive significantly more foreign direct investment than those with less freedom.
Overall, the Freedom Index suggests that a strong commitment to freedom is key to attracting foreign investment.
Bangladesh, a nation born from a fight for democracy, has set its sights firmly on the future, according to the report.
Its ambitious Vision 2041 agenda outlines a strategic course toward a developed and prosperous Bangladesh by the year 2041.
This plan, which emphasizes economic growth alongside social progress, underscores the nation’s commitment to empowering its citizens and solidifying its democratic foundation, says the report.
BIMSTEC Secretary General visits Sri Lanka; briefs its President on expectations from 6th Summit
Secretary General of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Indra Mani Pandey has undertaken an official visit to Sri Lanka recently.
This was his first official visit to Sri Lanka since taking charge as Secretary General on 4 January this year.
During the visit, the secretary general called on Ranil Wickremesinghe, President of Sri Lanka, M.U.M. Ali Sabry, PC., MP., Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka, and Ramesh Pathirana, Minister of Health of Sri Lanka, said the BIMSTEC headquarters on Monday.
He also held meetings with the Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Aruni Wijewardane; Secretary to the Prime Minister, Anura Dissanayake; Secretary to the Ministry of Health, Dr Palitha Maheepala; and the Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Thilaka Jayasundara.
During his call on President Wickremesinghe, the Secretary General briefed the President on the state of progress in BIMSTEC since the 5th Summit that was held in Colombo in March 2022, and the expectations from the 6th Summit that is to be held in Bangkok.
President Wickremesinghe reiterated Sri Lanka’s commitment to BIMSTEC and shared Sri Lanka’s priorities for regional cooperation.
Recalling his participation in the BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers’ Retreat held in Bangkok in July 2023, Foreign Minister Ali Sabry stressed the importance of holding frequent and regular meetings at all levels of BIMSTEC to sustain momentum and ensure BIMSTEC’s success so that the people of the Bay of Bengal region are able to reap the benefits of regional cooperation.
The secretary general’s meeting with the Secretary to the Prime Minister, Anura Dissanayake, was in the context of Sri Lanka being the lead member State in BIMSTEC for Human Resource Development.
They held detailed discussion on taking forward the BIMSTEC Human Resource Development agenda including the scheduling of the first meeting of the BIMSTEC Expert Group on Human Resource Development (HRD) that will consider the draft BIMSTEC Plan of Action on HRD.
The meeting with the Minister of Health and the Secretary to the Ministry of Health involved detailed discussions on the way forward on the BIMSTEC Health agenda, in the context of Sri Lanka being the lead member State for cooperation in health in BIMSTEC, including convening of the first meeting of BIMSTEC Health Ministers.
The meeting with the Secretary to the Ministry of Education involved discussions on the setting up of the BIMSTEC Technology Transfer Facility in Sri Lanka for which the Memorandum of Association was signed during the 5th BIMSTEC Summit in Colombo in 2022, as well as convening of the first meeting of its Governing Board.
Apart from official meetings, the secretary general participated in a public interactive event organised by the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute (LKI) on the theme ‘Regional Cooperation through BIMSTEC’, and in two roundtable sessions organised by the Advocata Institute and the Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies (BCIS).
These events enabled him to interact with a range of officials, experts, academics, thought leaders, researchers, and students, and listen to their views and ideas on regional cooperation.
It also provided him an opportunity to brief a wide range of persons on pursuit of regional cooperation through BIMSTEC in Bay of Bengal Region.
The secretary general’s engagements with media in Sri Lanka included an interview with The Sunday Morning newspaper and a TV interview on the programme ‘At Hyde Park’ on Ada Derana.
Dhaka seeks peace, effective steps to de-escalate Iran-Israel tension: Foreign Minister
Bangladesh wants to see an effective role from those countries that are supposed to play an effective role in de-escalating the Iran-Israel tension.
Bangladesh also wants to see killings in Gaza are stopped.
"Bangladesh is in favour of peace, not for war," said Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud on Sunday evening at the state guest house Padma.
Iran’s attack on Israel: What are the takeaways?
The people of the Middle East are facing a real danger of a devastating full-scale conflict, António Guterres said on Sunday, urging “maximum restraint” across a region “on the brink”, hours after Iran launched attack drones and missiles against Israel overnight Saturday.
“It is vital to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East...Now is the time for maximum restraint,” the UN Secretary-General told delegates at the opening of an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.
FM Hasan said because Israel attacked the Iranian embassy in Syria, Iran got the opportunity to attack. "Otherwise it would not have happened. Iran has 'retaliated' - that is what Iran says."
"We hope that all the countries that are supposed to play a role will immediately take effective measures to resolve the Iran-Israel tension and stop the indiscriminate killing of people in Gaza. We are never for war, we are for peace," he said.
The foreign minister wished the journalists present there on Bengali New Year.
Responding to a question on Bangladeshi ship MV Abdullah, the foreign minister said that the hostage sailors and the ship were safely rescued due to the all-out efforts of the government and those concerned.
Bangladesh earmarks Tk 385 billion for agriculture, aiming for 10% annual growth by fiscal 2026
Earlier, he had a bilateral meeting with Foreign Minister of Antigua and Barbuda E. P. Chet Greene who is now on a five-day official visit to Bangladesh.
They discussed issues of mutual interest and ways to strengthen ties in the coming days.
Expatriate Bangladeshis urged to represent cultural heritage of Bangladesh abroad
Bangladesh Ambassador in Lisbon Rezina Ahmed has urged the expatriate Bangladesh community to represent the country's cultural heritage abroad.
The ambassador, while celebrating Pahela Baisakh, called upon the members of the Bangladesh community to carry the spirit of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Rabindranth, Nazrul, Lalon and more importantly good name of the country.
She said that Pahela Baishakh, or Bengali New Year, is one of the colorful and significant cultural festivals celebrated with great enthusiasm and vibrant mood across the country and abroad.
It marks the first day of the Bengali first month, 'Baishakh' of the Bengali Solar Calendar.
"On this day, Bangalees bid farewell to the old year and welcome the New Year. It is a day of our celebration regardless of class, gender or religion. Pahela Baishakh embodies the start of new things. This secular festival rejuvenates us with the light of new hope," said the envoy.
Bangladesh Embassy in Lisbon celebrated “Pahela Baishakh” with great festivity and fervour. On this occasion, the chancery was decorated with beautifully drawn alpona (traditional graffiti), motifs, balloons, festoons, posters, flowers to showcase the Bengali culture which turned the embassy into a piece of Bangladesh.
About 200 Bangladeshi expatriates, diplomats from different Missions, dignitaries from host countries, representatives from the local government, foreign students, media activists, journalists and guests attended the programme, according to a message received here from the embassy.
All the members of the Mission, expatriate Bangladeshis participated the celebration of Pahela boishakh in traditional colorful attire.
The programme of the day began with the traditional Mangal Shovajatra (New Year Peace Rally) in which both expatriate Bangladesh community and foreign dignitaries took part with enthusiasm.
All the participants in the rally expressed their determination to make a peaceful and prosperous world free from wars and violence.
Later, ambassadors and foreign dignitaries were invited on the stage to address the audience saying ‘Shuvo Noboborsho’ in Bangla and in their own language.
The audience witnessed a colourful cultural show staged by the expatriate Bangladeshi artists.
The expatriate artists performed several dances and singers sang few songs.
The audience was enthralled by the brilliant dance performances and song renditions. Apart from that, many expatriates set up stalls displaying the traditional Bangladeshi cloths, handicrafts, Jamdhani and Monipuri Sarees and a wide range of traditional Bangladeshi foods including Panta Ilish.
Foreign guests and Bangladeshi expatriates expressed their happiness for organising such a colourful festival and enjoyed a day full of dance, music and food.
Pahela Baishakh revitalises a sense of patriotism, Bengali identity worldwide: Envoy in Canada
Bangladesh High Commissioner in Canada Khalilur Rahman has said Mangal Shovajatra promotes pluralism and secularism, fostering an environment of coexistence regardless of the differences of religions, castes or creeds.
Celebrating Pahela Baisakh at the mission, he underscored the festival's role as an antidote against religious extremism and intolerance, promoting unity and tolerance over division.
Bangladesh Embassy in Tokyo celebrates Pahela Baishakh
The envoy noted that Pahela Baishakh, the first day of Bangla New Year, revitalizss a sense of patriotism and Bengali identity worldwide and energises the Bengali nation.
Khalilur Rahman said that Pahela Baishakh has evolved into a symbol of the non-communal Bengali tradition.
He highlighted the significance of UNESCO's recognition of the Pahela Baishakh Mangal Shovajatra as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of mankind in 2016, attributing it to the diplomatic efforts of the government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Bangladesh High Commission, Ottawa, Canada celebrated Pahela Baisakh and the Bengali New Year-1431, with great enthusiasm and fervor.
A special event, chaired by the high commissioner, took place at the auditorium of the Bangladesh High Commission.
The event was attended by High Commission officials and members of the Bangladeshi community living in Canada.
At the beginning of the event, officers of the High Commission read out the messages by the President and Prime Minister on the occasion of Pahela Baisakh and Bengali New Year-1431.
This was followed by the welcome address by the high commissioner.
Bangladesh, Thailand nearing energy cooperation MOU: Nasrul Hamid
Following the high commissioner's address, attendees participated in a vibrant Mangal Shovajatra to celebrate Pahela Baisakh.
The event concluded with a cultural function featuring spontaneous performances by the Bangladeshi-Canadians.