Foreign-Affairs
Qatar keen to boost friendly ties with Bangladesh, says its PM
Qatar's Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani on Tuesday said his country is keen to strengthen its friendly relations with Bangladesh.
He said this at a bilateral meeting with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina held at the bilateral meeting room of Raffles Tower here in Doha.
During the meeting, the Qatari PM told Hasina that they (Qatar) are a true friend of Bangladesh and want to take the relation with the country forward further, said Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen at a press briefing.
The Qatari premier praised Hasina for bringing stability in Bangladesh.
PM Hasina said Bangladesh procures a huge amount of energy from Qatar. “We want you to assist us over energy,” she was quoted as telling her counterpart.
In reply, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman said Qatar would do as much as possible for Bangladesh.
About the fear of losing jobs among Bangladeshi workers in Qatar after the FIFA World Cup 2023, the Qatari PM said Bangladeshi workers are their assets and friends and Qatar will keep them as much as possible in their country.
Later, Qatar's Minister of State for Energy Affairs Saad bin Sherida Al Kaabi called on the Bangladesh Prime Minister at the latter’s place of residence.
In the meeting, the issue of signing a fresh contract over the supply of additional liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Bangladesh in future came up for discussion.
PM Hasina called for signing the new contract as soon as possible to procure a larger amount of energy from Qatar, said Momen at the press briefing.
The existing 15-year agreement signed in 2017 to import LNG from Qatar will be effective till 2032, but it needs to sign a new contract to get the larger amount of energy after 2025, he said.
Momen said the Bangladesh PM asked to sign the contract immediately, fixing the pricing related problems.
Describing Bangladesh as a friendly country that stood with Qatar in their tough days, they (Qatar) promised that they would consider all sorts of concessions whatever possible for Qatar during signing the contract.
Besides, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina held a meeting with President of Rwanda Paul Kagame on the sidelines of Qatar Economic Forum at Raffles Tower.
During the meeting, Kagame told Sheikh Hasina that he always hears the development story of Bangladesh and he wants to visit Bangladesh. “We are very proud of Bangladesh,” he was quoted as saying by Momen.
“Bangladesh is a very densely populated country and you (Sheikh Hasina) are governing the country very well. I want to see it,” the President of Rwanda was quoted as saying.
In reply, the Premier invited Kagame to visit Bangladesh.
Paul Kagame said he wants to establish air connectivity between Bangladesh and Rwanda.
Referring to the recent opening of a pharmaceutical factory by a Bangladeshi company in Rwanda, the president invited more Bangladeshi investment in different sectors in his country.
Hasina praised Kagame, saying that Rwanda is in a very good position in Africa due to his good leadership.
She told Kagame that the Ukraine-Russia war has created difficulties and sent warnings to countries like Bangladesh and Rwanda. “We can overcome such type of situation if we cooperate with each other,” she said.
Kagame appreciated Hasina’s remark saying that it is high time to strengthen the cooperation.
India sees huge potential for cooperation with Bangladesh Railway
Indian Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw has emphasised on the immense potential for cooperation between the railways of Bangladesh and India.
He highlighted that Bangladesh historically shares similar railway systems and therefore are naturally complementary in this sector.
The Minister expressed hope that the handing over of 20 broad gauge locos as a token of friendship from India would add to the ease and comfort of rail travel for the Bangladeshis.
The grant of these locos to Bangladesh is a fine example of the sharing of resources and expertise for growth and development, he said.
In a handing over ceremony held on Tuesday, 20 broad gauge locomotives were handed over at Darshana-Gede Interchange Point and virtually flagged off by the Indian Minister of Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw, with Bangladesh Minister of Railways, Md. Nurul Islam Sujan receiving them on behalf of the government of Bangladesh.
Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma joined the virtual ceremony from Rail Bhabhan in Dhaka while Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Md. Mustafizur Rahman joined the virtual ceremony from Rail Bhawan in New Delhi.
Senior officials from Indian Railways, Bangladesh Railways and Ministry of Railways of Bangladesh, were also present at the ceremony.
The handing over of these 20 broad gauge locomotives, under grant assistance from India, fulfills an important commitment made during the visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India in September 2022.
These locomotives will help augment the capacity and efficiency of Bangladesh Railway for handling the growing volume of passenger and freight train operations in Bangladesh.
Indian Minister of Railways Vaishnaw added that enhancing multi-modal connectivity was a priority for both Governments and that railway in particular, had the potential to transform the economies of both countries as well as the entire sub-region.
He noted that India-Bangladesh relations had scaled new heights in recent years and that further boosting rail connectivity was mutually recognised as a key driver for achieving efficient and eco-friendly growth.
Bangladesh is India’s largest development partner with projects worth nearly $10 billion in the portfolio.
Rail connectivity is one of the key components of the bilateral development partnership, with railway sector projects of over $300 million under Indian Line of Credit having been completed already, and projects worth over $1.69 billion at various stages of implementation.
As a reflection of the deep cultural connect between the people of the two countries, there are three cross-border train services operating between Kolkata-Dhaka, Kolkata-Khulna and Dhaka-New Jalpaiguri.
With a focus on increasing cross-border connectivity and bilateral trade, five of the pre-1965 railway links have been restored and these are playing a critical role in movement of passengers and goods.
For future collaboration, several projects have been identified which underscore the importance of greater bilateral and sub-regional connectivity through rail.
There are also projects underway to restore the remaining pre-1965 rail links and create new rail links to augment connectivity between India’s Northeast and Bangladesh.
India is also committed to undertaking training programmes for Bangladesh Railway personnel for skill development, and to undertaking projects for digitization of Bangladesh Railway operations, including for passenger and freight management systems.
The transformational nature of rail-based movement, was particularly noted during the challenging pandemic period. Parcel train traffic was augmented for quick mass transportation of essential items and the first parcel train between India and Bangladesh moved in July 2020.
Since then, bilateral trade via rail has seen consistent growth.
There is interchange of nearly 100 cargo trains per month and approximately 2.67 MT cargo was supplied to Bangladesh by rail during the last financial year.
As a COVID response measure, Indian Railway's Oxygen Express transported Liquid Medical Oxygen to Bangladesh in railway containers in July 2021 and a total of 20 Oxygen Express Trains were operated to support of Bangladesh's fight against COVID.
Indian Minister of Railways Vaishnaw highlighted that under Prime Minister Modi’s “Gati Shakti” initiative, several projects are being taken up in India to enhance cargo handling capacity and efficiency and in this context, projects can also be taken up in Bangladesh for upgradation of cargo shades, loop-lines, signaling systems and container terminals.
This would help further reduce logistics costs and make Bangladesh more competitive, thereby bringing significant economic dividends for both countries.
He also offered to share the Indian experience with electrification of the railway network with Bangladesh, as electrification was the way forward to enhance efficiency and reduce carbon footprint.
Indian envoy pledges easing visa process further
Amid allegations of harassment and unnecessary delay, Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Pranay Verma on Tuesday said that work is underway to increase the capacity of visa centres.
He, however, said that more than 15 lakh Indian visas were issued to Bangladeshis last year and termed it a record in the world.
He made the comment while speaking as the chief guest at the second quarter lunch meeting of the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) at Gulshan in the capital on Tuesday.
His comment came as businessmen often talk about visas that they are not getting Indian visa quickly and easily.
Verma, however, acknowledged that quick and easy visa is important for expanding trade between the two countries.
He said to ease the process they are not only increasing the capacity of the visa facilities more centres will be set up to receive visa applications.
“This is an ongoing process. We are sincerely trying,” he said.
Verma expressed hope that the trade between the two countries will increase in the future through the multidimensional communication system. Initiatives have been taken to make the land ports more effective and modernized, he said.
Apart from this, he felt that steps should be taken to export Bangladeshi products to third countries using Kolkata and Delhi airports. He said the mutual investment of private sector entrepreneurs have also strengthened.
The connectivity initiatives aimed at linking Indian states, including those in India’s Northeast, with Bangladesh were intended to reinforce mutual interdependence between the two countries and leverage their shared history, geography, and socio-economic ties, he said.
Verma stated that given the proximity of Bangladesh to Northeastern States of India, Bangladesh is best placed to benefit from the economic opportunities present in the region.
The High Commissioner invited members of the MCCI to come forward to identify synergies that exist and leverage the geographical proximity and the framework of connectivity already in place to further enhance trade and economic engagement between India and Bangladesh.
MCCI president Saiful Islam said that special dual currency cards can be introduced through the State Bank of India to increase trade between the two countries.
Apart from discussing this matter, the MCCI president also mentioned that it is necessary to come to a quick decision regarding the trade between the two countries in rupees and taka.
Syed Nasim Manzoor, Managing Director of Apex Footwear, said on the occasion that Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institute (BSTI) can be linked to Indian quality control institutions, through which quality can be verified from this country in case of exporting products to India.
“If this is done, the speed of trade between the two countries will increase rapidly,” he said.
6 Bangladeshi peacekeepers to be honoured posthumously at UN HQ
The UN Headquarters will observe the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers and mark the 75th anniversary of UN Peacekeeping on Thursday (25 May).
Among the peacekeepers to be honoured posthumously with the Dag Hammarskjold medal are six from Bangladesh: Sainik MD Sharif Hossain, Sainik MD Jahangir Alam, and Sainik MD Jasim who served with the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA); LCPL Kafil Majum DER who served with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS); SGT MD Manjur RAHMAN who served with the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA); and Police Constable MD MONIRUZZAMAN who served with the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).
Bangladesh is the largest contributor of uniformed personnel to UN Peacekeeping, according to the UN Information Centre, Dhaka.
It currently deploys more than 7,200 military and police personnel to the UN peacekeeping operations in Abyei, the Central African Republic, Cyprus, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lebanon, Mali, South Sudan, and the Western Sahara.
In 1948, the historic decision was made to deploy military observers to the Middle East to supervise the implementation of Israel-Arab Armistice Agreements, in what became the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization.
Since that time, more than two million peacekeepers from 125 countries have since served in 71 operations around the world.
Currently, 87,000 women and men are serving in 12 conflict zones across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.
During formal ceremonies at the United Nations Headquarters, Secretary-General, António Guterres, will lay a wreath to honour the more than 4,200 UN peacekeepers who have lost their lives since 1948.
He will also preside over a ceremony in the General Assembly Hall at which Dag Hammarskjöld Medals will be awarded posthumously to 103 military, police, and civilian peacekeepers, who lost their lives serving under the UN flag last year.
The Secretary-General will also present the 2022 Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award to Captain Cecilia Erzuah, a military officer from Ghana who served with the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA).
Created in 2016, the Award “recognises the dedication and effort of an individual peacekeeper in promoting the principles of UN Security Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security”.
In his message, the Secretary-General said: “United Nations peacekeepers are the beating heart of our commitment to a more peaceful world. For 75 years, they have supported people and communities rocked by conflict and upheaval across the globe. Today, on the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, we honour their extraordinary contributions to international peace and security.”
Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, said: “Peacekeeping is a powerful example of how strong partnerships and collective political will can result in meaningful change. Working together with local communities and other partners, our personnel protect civilians, advance political solutions, and help end conflicts in the pursuit of sustainable peace. We appreciate the support of all stakeholders to ensure that UN Peacekeeping can continue to work as an effective multilateral tool for global peace and security.”
The International Day of UN Peacekeepers was established by the UN General Assembly in 2002, to pay tribute to all men and women serving in peacekeeping, and to honour the memory of those who have lost their lives in the cause of peace.
Spain seeks to foster deeper connections with Bangladesh through football fans
LaLiga and the Embassy of Spain in Bangladesh, together with Instituto Cervantes and Catedra Inditex, on Tuesday evening unveiled the Spanish-Bangla football dictionary in Dhaka.
At the ceremony, LaLiga presented the book as part of their ongoing efforts to promote stronger connections in the Indian subcontinent.
The dictionary was presented by the Ambassador of Spain in Bangladesh, Francisco de Asis Benitez Salas, José Antonio Cachaza, Managing Director LaLiga for the region, Amparo Porta, Director of Catedra Inditex and Oscar Pujol, Director of the Instituto Cervantes in Delhi.
Secretary, Ministry of Sports and Youth, Dr Mohiuddin Ahmed spoke as the chief guest.
Keeping in mind Bangladesh’s rich football narrative in Asia and growing appetite for football, the dictionary will offer the reader in-depth information about LaLiga Santander and LaLiga SmartBank clubs.
The dictionary provides translations of various gameplay actions, significant sporting achievements and popular football terminology.
Taking advantage of football as a vehicle to promote social development and create positive change, the book will provide a platform to strengthen connections and promote a deeper understanding between the people of Bangladesh and Spain.
Moreover, the dictionary also includes social guidelines to facilitate effective communication and interaction in various settings.
Speaking at the presentation, Francisco de Asis Benítez Salas, Ambassador of Spain in Bangladesh said as football continues to gain popularity in Bangladesh, leveraging this shared passion for the sport to foster deeper connections is an effective approach.
"With football as a common thread, these initiatives will not only reinforce existing ties but will also contribute to the growth, mutual understanding and appreciation between our two countries, paving the way for a brighter future of cooperation and partnership," he said.
The Ambassador said the initiative will help know each other in a better way.
"It is very good way of bonding. This is quite a good initiative to show how deeply the two countries are. "We are enjoying solid diplomatic relations."
Jose Antonio Cachaza, Managing Director, LaLiga India said they continue to build on our vision and impact in the Indian subcontinent; Bangladesh is an area of key importance for LaLiga.
"Our efforts are focused on utilising the shared passion for football as a foundation to expand, strengthen and deepen cultural/sporting relations between our two nations. In time, we believe this dictionary will not only diminish linguistic barriers but will also facilitate partnerships across a variety of sectors.”
Amparo Porta, from Inditex Chair, Dhaka University focused on the importance of Futbol as part of Twenty First Century´s Spanish culture.
"We cannot deny how deep is the print of this sport in Spain. But it is amazing to be a witness of the importance of Spanish football and LaLiga in Bangladesh. We have been teaching Spanish language in the University of Dhaka during the last twelve years, and many of our students joined our lessons because they are followers of LaLiga. This means that they first knew about Sergio Ramos, but now they also know Miguel de Cervantes."
Oscar Pujol, Director Instituto Cervantes Delhi said, “Not only Spanish has become very popular in Bangladesh in the last 20 years, but also soccer. Since Spain's victory in the 2010 World Cup, the popularity of Spanish teams has continued to grow and the presence of LaLiga has greatly contributed to this. For this reason, it is very relevant to publish this football dictionary in Bengali now. The marriage between language and soccer is especially important in Bangladesh.”
The Spanish-Bangla dictionary is LaLiga’s third translation exercise this year in the region; following the recently unveiled Spanish-Bengali & Spanish-Hindi football dictionary in India.
It’s been published before in Chinese, Arabic, Hungarian, Japanese and several other languages.
LaLiga is a global, innovative and socially responsible organisation, a leader in the leisure and entertainment sector.
It is a private sports association composed of 20 teams in LaLiga Santander and 22 in LaLiga SmartBank, responsible for the organisation of these national professional football competitions.
BNP leader’s ‘death threat’ to PM: US condemns use of any inflammatory language
The United States has condemned the Rajshahi BNP leader’s public ‘death threat’ against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, noting that they stand firmly against any attempts to incite violence.
"The U.S. Embassy condemns the use of any inflammatory language, intimidation, or threats of violence," Sean J. McIntosh, Counselor for Public Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Dhaka told UNB on Tuesday.
The US comment came when asked whether the US is condemning such threat by the opposition leader.
"Political stability, peaceful coexistence, and respect for democratic principles are vital for any society to flourish," said the official at the US Embassy.
The United States is committed to supporting Bangladesh in its pursuit of a stable, prosperous, and democratic future, said McIntosh.
"We stand firmly against any attempts to incite violence, and we reiterate our support for the principles of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law," said the official.
Bangladesh Awami League and its associate organizations held processions and rallies in all district and metropolitan areas, protesting Rajshahi district BNP Convener Abu Sayeed Chand’s “death threat” to Prime Minister and AL President Sheikh Hasina.
In a video posted on AL’s verified Facebook page, that had been circulating on social media and reported on by media outlets, Abu Sayeed Chand is heard saying: “No more 27- or 10-point demand, just one point now – send Sheikh Hasina to the grave!”
According to the video, the speech was given on May 19 at a Rajshahi district and metropolitan BNP rally.
More cooperation may attract more US investment in diversified segments, hopes AmCham President
American Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh (AmCham) President.Syed Ershad Ahmed has hoped that more cooperation may attract more US investment in diversified segments and contribute in Bangladesh.
He highlighted the fact that partnerships are critical and they value the mutual cooperation between the USA and Bangladesh.
The AmCham organized a discussion over dinner on “Bilateral Trade Relations for Driving Growth” at a hotel in Dhaka on Monday.
Brendan Lynch, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), South and Central Asia (Acting) and Mahnaz Khan, Director for South Asia, (USTR) attended the discussion as the guests of honor.
Syed Mohammad Kamal, Vice President – AmCham moderated the discussion.
USA is the single largest export market for Bangladeshi goods in the world and the bilateral trade volume in FY 2022 was approximately $14 billion, said the President, adding that a number they are working hard to increase.
"USA is still the largest contributor to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Bangladesh and the biggest source of remittance too."
Both Brendan Lynch and Mahnaz Khan from USTR applauded the work AmCham and U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) do in collaboration and tried to underscore the outline of the growth drivers that bilateral trade can play to improve the relations of the two friendly nations, especially during the postpandemic geo-political situation where global supply chain is disrupted causing unrest in the economy of many countries in this region.
They both mentioned that the USA has a keen interest to invest in different sectors of Bangladesh.
Mahnaz Khan also overviewed about potential investment opportunities in Bangladesh.
AmCham former Presidents that included Forrest E Cookson, Aftab Ul Islam and Md. Nurul Islam shared their perspective on the US role in the WTO fostering the economic growth, the background of TICFA and its potentials, the opportunities of FDI from USA in various sectors apart from power and energy and role of the United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) can play in fostering the bilateral economic growth.
The Policy Research Institute of Bangladesh (PRI) chairman Dr. Zaidi Sattar supplemented on the role of WTO and in the evolving geo-political environment how both US-Bangladesh can act on it days ahead.
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) president, Faruque Hassan shared the improvement Bangladesh has made in the last decade ensuring a safe working place and suggested to consider the preferential tariff regime similar to GSP for Bangladesh once it completes LDC graduation.
Bangladesh-Malaysia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BMCCI) President Syed Almas Kabir shared his idea of upcoming changes in ICT and knowledge-based industry and invited US academic footprint in the sector.
AmCham member and former BASIS president Habibullah N. Karim as well as current BASIS President Russell T Ahmed echoed the potential Bangladesh holds for ICT industry that revolves around blockchain, Artificial Intelligence so on and invited the visiting team to explore the opportunity and share the experience back in USA.
The managing director - Coca-Cola Bangladesh Ltd, Ta Duy Tung shared his suggestions about ease of doing business with regard to taxation policy and energy situation in Bangladesh and their future investment plan to expand the operation.
ICC Bangladesh president, Mahbubur Rahman, Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) President Md. Sameer Sattar, Sohail R. K. Hussain the Managing Director & CEO of Meghna Bank Ltd, M S Siddiqui shared their views and listened to the responses from the visiting USTR officials going forward.
JENESYS Reporting Session 2022 held in Dhaka
Embassy of Japan held a reporting session for “JENESYS2022” participants at the ambassador’s residence in Dhaka on Monday (May 22, 2023).
JENESYS (Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths) is an initiative by the Government of Japan to promote people-to-people exchange programmes between Japan and the Asia-Pacific region, according to a press release.
Read more: 2023 is the 1st year for next 50 years of Dhaka-Tokyo relations: Ambassador Iwama
The programme started accepting Bangladeshi participants in 2015. Approximately 23,000 young people have participated in this programme in the Indo-Pacific region since then.
This year, 19 youths participated and visited Japan under two themes, namely, “Agriculture” and “Energy’’.
In Monday’s reporting session, the participants shared their experiences from their visits to Japan and exchanged opinions with government officials of the Ministry of Agriculture, and Ministry of Energy, Power and Mineral Resources of Bangladesh, and with staff of Embassy of Japan, the release said.
Read more: India’s NCGG completes training programme for 58th batch of Bangladeshi civil servants
Ambassador Iwama hoped that this year’s JENESYS participants would reflect on their knowledge to promote mutual trust and lay the foundation for friendship and cooperation between Japan and Bangladesh, it added.
Two-week ‘Capacity Building Programme’ for Bangladeshi civil servants commences in India
A two-week Capacity Building Programme (CBP) for civil servants of Bangladesh was inaugurated at the National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) campus in Mussoorie of India.
Following the completion of the first phase of training, NCGG has signed an MoU with the Government of Bangladesh to enhance the skills and capabilities of an additional 1,800 civil servants by 2025. As part of the agreement, in the last two years, NCGG has already imparted training to 517 officers from Bangladesh, according to a press release of the Indian High Commission in Dhaka.
The NCGG’s programme reinforces the principle of citizen-centric governance among civil servants. It aims to foster the exchange of information, knowledge, and innovative ideas while promoting the adoption of best practices and digital governance. By enhancing the sensitivity and responsiveness of civil servants, the programme seeks to bring about greater efficiency and effectiveness in public administration, it said.
The inaugural session was chaired by NCGG Director General Bharat Lal.
In his address, Lal highlighted that the capacity building programme has been developed in collaboration with the Government of Bangladesh and the Indian High Commission, Dhaka. The primary objective of this programme is to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and innovations that have been implemented in India to enhance governance and public service delivery, the release said.
Underlining the instrumental role of women in nation-building, he urged civil servants to empower women. He emphasized the importance of creating an environment that fosters gender equality, ensuring that women have equal access to opportunities, resources, and decision–making processes.
The entire capacity building programme will be supervised by Dr A P Singh, course coordinator for Bangladesh, Dr Sanjeev Sharma, co-course coordinator and the capacity building team of NCGG, the release also said.
This is the 60th batch from Bangladesh attending the training program at NCGG.
Tourism emerging as vital to Bangladesh-Malaysia relations
Malaysian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Haznah Md. Hashim has said the tourism sector has emerged as a vital component of bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Malaysia.
"This is acting as a bridge to bring our people closer and allowing us to experience the unique beauty and diversity each nation has to offer," she said while speaking at a B2B networking dinner on Sunday at a Dhaka hotel.
Marking the "Roadshow to Bangladesh", the High Commissioner said Malaysia registered more than 10 million tourists’ arrivals in 2022.
"This shows that Malaysia is on track to gain back 26 million tourists’ arrivals. Out of 10 million tourists in 2022, about 59,000 were originated from Bangladesh," she said.
With respect to Bangladeshi tourists, leisure tourism plays a significant role in attracting them to Malaysia.
The High Commissioner said Malaysia, Truly Asia, offers the Bangladeshi travellers a perfect blend of natural landscapes, vibrant cities, and rich cultural heritage – which is a multitude of experiences for every traveller.